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investment of niucli capital, and gives employment to large 

 numbers, everyone knows — but who can fix precise figures to 

 the general statements'? Yet to know the dimensions of the 

 industry is surely a reasonable pre-requisite to defining a poUcy 

 in regard to it. It has been said that the value of statistics to 

 a Government Department is patent, but what benefit can they 

 be to the grower? It is very much like stating that anyone can 

 see the 'value of diagnosis to a physician ; but what benefit can 

 it be to the patient? In the recent inquiry as to railway rates the 

 absence of accurate statistics has weakened the case for the 

 industry. There are violent fluctuations of prices for vegetables. 

 Is the cause over production or lack of transport or faulty distri- 

 bution? Statistics alone can prove it. In times of glut, too, 

 is importation the cause or is it a question of reorganising trans- 

 port? Statistics are necessary before an answer can be given. 



No doubt at the mention of statistics the grower sighs and says 

 " More forms." But here his fears are groundless — for though 

 there must be the filling of schedules, expert assistance for this 

 purpose can be given from Committees comprised of representa- 

 tives of growers' organisations, the County Horticultural Staff 

 and the inspectorate of the Ministry. The schedules are the 

 product of conference between the national organisations of 

 growers, the Horticultural Advisory Council and the Ministry. 

 They are designed to obtain an accurate, detailed record, in the 

 first instance, of fruit growing of all types in the countrv and 

 of the nursery and glass house industry, with provisions for 

 building up a system of reliable forecasts of the fruit crop, 

 obtained in time to give warning to growlers overseas when 

 there is a large crop in this country. 



The collection of statistics on the lines above indicated has 

 been deferred for the present in view of the need for economy. 



Plant Hygiene. — If an accurate diagnosis of the conditions of 

 the industry is the foundation for a Horticultural policy, the 

 next step will be to take measures to defend the horticultural 

 stocks of the country against the attacks of diseases and pests. 

 These can either be brought into the country upon imported 

 produce or can be spread by the distribution of home gi'own stock 

 as carriers. In the first case dealing with imported produce is 

 necessary, and here it is evident the industry is dependent upim 

 sympathetic Government action. The matter is not an easy one 

 in any case, and is made more difficult by the disagreement 

 among experts of how best to do it. The provision made and the 

 powers taken to prot(M-t the live-stock herds against infection. 



