8 



our exports from that source increased, this Conference will 

 not have met in vain. He might here add that if ever 

 there was a time in the history of the colony when it was 

 necessary that our exports should be increased, it was to-day. 

 He was sure the delegates were thoughtful men who would 

 recognise the position and give their assistance to bring about 

 any improvement possible. There was never a time in the 

 history of the colony when it was more needful for thoughtful 

 men to take into consideration the necessity of applying our lands 

 and labour to the best possible use, in order that the depression 

 now hanging over us might be removed. He noticed in the press 

 frequent paragraphs headed — " The depression and the way out 

 of it." He would say that, shortly put, the way out was to 

 make the best use of our lands and our labour, and if we do so the 

 time is not far distant when the colony will be lifted out of the 

 depression. Another question they had to discuss was the 

 Insect Pests Bill. It was of little use encouraging planting and 

 extending the area, or to make individual efforts to cope with the 

 insect pests, until there was a law to deal with the matter uni- 

 versally. He brought in an Insect Pests Bill last session, and 

 was surprised at the attitude taken by Parliament with regard to 

 it. Many men took alarm and said, because the Government 

 were going to take powers to compel men to clean their orchards 

 or have them eradicated, that it was far too drastic. Still there 

 was no other remedy. How could they allow a man to have all 

 his trees full of disease and infest aU the orchards surrounding 

 him ? It was necessary that that provision should be included iu 

 the Bill, but from that and other clauses dealing with the disease 

 in a somewhat similar way, the Bill met with very little favour. 

 However, he believed that if they would discuss the matter to- 

 day, when next it was brought before Parliament, if presented 

 with a statement of their approval, it would be considered more 

 favorably, and the probabilities were that it would be given 

 effect to in law. 



Mr. 0. Bekttjch, of the Castlemaine and District Fruit-growers' 

 Association, read the following paper on the "Best means for 

 dealing with Insect Pests " : — 



In answer to a circular received by the Castlemaine and 

 District Fruit-growers' Association I was appointed their repre- 

 sentative at this Conference. While I approve of much that has 

 been done by the G-overnment to instruct the fruit-growers on 

 insect pests destructive to fruit trees, and the way to destroy 

 them, as illustrated in Handbook, Parts I. and II., by Mr. 

 Charles French, still nothing has as yet been published with 



