FRUITGROWERS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18372, 4 May 1925, Page 5

FRUITGROWERS.

MEETING OF CANTERBURY ASSOCIATION. Tho monthly meeting; of the Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Association was held on Saturday night, Mr E. Freeman presiding over "a fairly good attendance. The chairman reported that the executive , had appointed Mr C. Pope as the Association's representative on the Canterbury Progress League. The Association was in communication .with the .Vacuum Oil Company to ascertain whether the company would grant a 10 per cent, reduction on spraying material purchased by members. Mr F. V. Cono stated that the conference of Canterbury provincial Fruitgrowers' Associations would be held on 30th inst. in the rooms of the Canterbury A. and P. Association.

Mr Wi C. Hyde, Government Horticulturist, gave an address on "Tomato Culture," his remarks dealing chiefly with tacts about problems the Department had had to investigate recently. With reference to black stripe, a bacterial disease, he stated that experiments had_ shown that overmanuring, especially with stable manure, was an outstanding cause, and where manuring had been confined to phosphates and potash and the area thoroughly limed, the trouble had been reduced to a degree not worth mentioning. Those who had studied the subject wero of opinion that bacterial diseases of plants could be successfully dealt with by altering the constitution of the plant so that it was not suitable for bacteria. Economy in the use of manure, not merely for the sake of economy, had been indicated as the right direction to work. Those who possessed heavy land should give a good dressing of line before planting. Answering n 'question us to whether this should be done everv vcar, Mr Hyde said that as ! regards dressings of any kind, it was unI satisfactory and impossible to lay down a rule. If was necessary to study one's land, its past treatment, and consider the results of the past season. Too most capable growers could not tell what top-dressing they intended to put on a fortnight before tho job was don€. The hardest lesson to learn was to lav aside the rule of thumb and thoroughly to study the history of one's land and crop. In respect of other troubles experienced by tomato-growers, he dealt at some length with the necessity for sterilising the land, and described methods of applying steam and carbon bisulphate; land affected only with fungus could be disinfected by formallu. He the necessity for ■rowers roakins certain of the. trouble that was affecting their plants. A number of questions was answered by Mr Hyde. Replying to a questioner who stated that ho had not used stable manure and vet 30 per cent, of his plants had b,een affected with black stripe, he said that it was necessary to-get seed front sound plants; manv growers fell down from this cause. It was also necessary to see that potting soil was thoroughly well-conditioned. Replyin°- to other questions, Mr Hyde said that potato blight on tomatoes, or late blight; was unusual.' For earlv crops a • light, pliable soil was the best; but situation, frost, and elevation had also to be taksn into consideration. A good dressing was one ton of burnt lima to the acre; on land that was cropped intensively it was possible to 'apply lime much moro frequently than on ordinary farm land. On the chairman's motion, and ?by- ><; . claiuation, Mr Hyde was accorded a vote of thanks for his instructive address.