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and scale insects, but the worst insect pest to which they are 
liable is the fruit-fly referred to later. All these facts show that 
the soil and climate conditions in Fiji are eminently suited for the 
growth of oranges and mandarins; and give some faint idea of 
what could be done if these fruits were propagated by budding 
and grown in orchards with proper cultivation. 
_ Sir Henry 8. Berkeley, formerly Chief Justice of Fiji, in a 
paper entitled “ Lime and Orange Cultivation as an Industry ”, 
read before the Agricultural and Industrial Association of Fiji 
in June 1888, advocated the cultivation of limes and oranges in 
Fiji with a view to their export to New Zealand and Australia. 
Since that paper was written Australia has developed an orange 
industry; but now Fiji has direct steamer communication with 
Canada. 
For some time the export of citrus fruits to New Zealand was 
not possible owing to the certificates required by that Government. 
Regulation 3 (6) of the Regulations made on 20th February 1908 
under the provisions of the Orchard and Garden Pests Act 1903 
provided that fruit other than grapes imported into New Zealand 
must be accompanied by a certificate signed by the shipper 
certifying that “no species of the fruit-fly is known to exist in or 
within one mile of the orchard where such fruit was grown,” and 
also by a similar certificate signed by an officer of the Department 
of Agriculture certifying that “no species of fruit-fly is known to 
exist in or within one mile of the orchard where such fruit is 
certified by the shipper to have been grown.” These certificates 
could not be given owing to the presence in Fiji of a fruit-fly, 
Dacus passiflorae Frogg., which not only lives on oranges and 
mandarins, but has also been found on other fruits, including 
guava, mango, passion-fruit, dawa (Pometia pinnata Forst.) and 
Kavika (Hugenia malaccensis L.). 
Mr. H. W. Simmonds, F.E.S., at present Acting Government 
Entomologist, was employed by the Government of Fiji in 1920 
on a mission to Tahiti to search for and bring to Fiji parasites of 
the scale insect (Aspidiotus destructor Sign.), which was then a 
serious pest of coconuts in certain parts of the Colony. In this 
work Mr. Simmonds was entirely successful, and on his return to 
Fiji visited Rarotonga and made enquiries as to the methods of 
exporting fruit from there to New Zealand. The following is an 
extract from his report on this subject :— 
“The worst pest is undoubtedly the fruit-fly, Dacus 
rarotongensis. ‘This insect does not seem to have been 
present formerly, whilst it has only quite recently spread to 
Mauke and Mangaia, two other Islands of the group. It is 
now exceedingly common, living on guava and other wild 
fruits, and attacking oranges in the season . . . 
_ “The method adopted in Rarotonga so far as export is 
concerned is to set aside a couple of days for picking about 
10 days before the New Zealand steamer is due to sail. The 
fruit is then stored in sheds until a couple of days before 
