STONE FRUITS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16420, 14 January 1919, Page 8

STONE FRUITS.

SHORTAGE IN AUCKLAND j DISTRICT. £ ] (SPECIAL TO "THE PBES3.") 1 3 AUCKLAND, January 13. s With the exception of Japanese 1 plums there seeius to be a shortage of j stone fruits in Auckland this year. ] One grower, when asked regarding the ] position, said that he was practically , giving up grooving stone fruits. There were too many pests to be combated ( to make it profitable. "The brown spot, one of the latest evils to be ( faced, simply ruins the crop," he said, ( "You pick fruit looking all sound, but unless it is very quickly sold, quite a lot of the fruit will be rotten. English plums appear to be almost out of the market, and it looks as . if Japanese plums will haye to keep the market going." A retailer, when asked about the brown spot, said: "It is a serious source of loss to shopkeepers. You buy somo cases of fruit and decorate ( tho window, and then until they are . sold, you have to pick out half rotten fruit every morning. As far as I can ( see, stone fruits will 'bo scarce, and, . of course, high in price." , Another grower said it was a. ques- . tion/as to whether he would not cut . out peaches and plums altogether, j "What with leaf curl, silver blight, ■ and a dozen other pests," he added, : "production becomes too expensive, , and the seasons are so variable that • yields are uncertain. Added to these j troubles powers have now to suffer , from ravages of the brown spot, which develops when fruit js just ready for : the market. Plums and peaches are ' likely to be luxuries in future unless a remedy is discovered for the brown spot." .