Mr. J. Clarkson, Fruit-growers' Association, Lockwood, 

 „ J. H. Dardell, jun., Fruit-growers' Association, Gee- 

 long and District, 

 „ P. W. J. Murphy, Fruit-growers' Association, Arthur's 



Creek, 

 „ W. H. Groff, Fruit-growers' Association, Beaconsfield, &c., 

 „ J. Sykes, Fruit-growers' Association, Burwood, (fee. 



Board of Horticulture. 



The Secretary for Agriculture, 



Hon. W. Anderson, 



H. Boyce, 



C. Draper, 



J. Harris, M.P., 



J. Lang. 



The Chaieman thanked the delegates for attending to discuss 

 the past and future of the fruit industry of Victoria. He hoped 

 that when they had exchanged experiences and ideas they might 

 discover some reason why the fruit industry of this colony had 

 not responded to the assistance afforded in the same way as 

 other assisted and less promising industries had done. If they 

 could bring this industry, as they had hoped to do some years 

 ago, into prominence as an export industry the time would not 

 be wasted. He had had some figures prepared by Mr. Martin, 

 which had astonished him. First, as to the position of the fruit 

 industry. The acreage under cultivation in the year 1889 was — 

 fruit trees, 27,533 acres ; vines, 12,886. Since the bonus regula- 

 tions came into force, and up to the present, there had been 

 additional vines planted 12,826 acres, and fruit trees 8,854 

 acres, from the years 1890 to 1893 inclusive. £2 per acre 

 was due for thQ vines and £3 per acre for the fruit trees. 

 Of this sum £12,600 had been paid up to date for the vines, 

 and £8,000 for the fruit trees. While the fruit industry was not 

 advancing to the extent they anticipated, still he was surprised 

 to find it had fallen away in the past year so far as exports were 

 concerned. In addition to that, the State had given as bonuses 

 for canned fruit — the quantity being 1,135,000, lbs. — £4,850 ; for 

 green fruits, £603 ; for factories, £575. Now they would natur- 

 ally conclude that the result of that system would be that our 

 exports would have increased materially, but he found from the 

 list prepared that in 1890 we exported in round numbers nearly 

 18,000,000 lbs.; in 1891 ithadslightly increased to 2 1,000,000 lbs.; 

 in 1892 there was a decided increase to 36,000,000 lbs.; but unfortu- 

 natelyin 1893itfell to 29,000,000 lbs. As to dried fruits they would 

 naturally conclude, more particularly as so much had been said in 



