FRUIT EXPERT.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20099, 1 December 1930, Page 13

FRUIT EXPERT.

NO CHRISTCHURCH VISIT. GROWERS DISAPPOINTED. Keen, disappointment is felt by Christchurch fruitgrowers and horticulturists over the fact that no opportunity is to be given them of hearing Mr R. G. Hatton, the Director of the Ea6t Maling Research. Station, "while he is visiting the Dominion. Mr Hatton is spending only a short period in New Zealand, but he •will shortly be passing through Christchurch. on his way to Cromwell, in Central Otago. Though strong representations hav« been made from the Canterbury Council of the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, the Canterbury Fruitgrovc.era' Association, tho Tomato and Stone Fruits' Association, and the Horticultural Trades' Association, no satisfaction. has been received in the form of a reply to letters to the Director of Horticulture in Wellington, or to a telegram to the research station in Palmerston North. It was expected tha* a reply would have been received by yesterday, as Mr Hatton was to leave Wellington last evening, and his only appearance in the South Island is to be at the Cawthron Institute in Nelson, and at Cromwell. Deprived of Benefit. "It is a shame that thiDgs should have turned out in this way," said Mr T. D. Lennie, president of the Canterbury Council of tho New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, when discussing the matter. It- is . merely another case in which people in Wellington have considered only local interests, and others not at all. Canterbury can show just as diverse fruit conditions as any district in New Zealand, and it is important enough to have had the opportunity of hearing the views of an authority. Tho men here are being deprived of the benefit of hearing wha,t are the latest developments in matters in which they ara vitally interested. "The point of the objection is that .Wellington seems to have overlooked the importance of this. centre as a fruitgrowing area. It shonld be remembered that we.have Lincoln College here, and its wheat research, activities. The growers hero are very keen, and even rf it had been impossible to arrange that Mr Hatton should be in Christchurch for an evening, they would have been willing to attend' si meeting at anv . hour of the day when, he might be frea for a short period. Developments in England. I " There are mnay matters on which a few words from an. authority would be of great value to all concerned. A case in point is that nobody here knows the cause of silver blight. Mr Hattoa eould have told us what was the posij tion in England, and what was the rej suit of the most recent research, into the problem. Nurserymen also are keen, to learn what q,re the latest developments in the various stocks being used in the Old Country for nursery purposes. It is of inestimable value for us to overcome the disadvantages of isolation and learn what, is being done on the other side, of the world. " The feeling among interested parties is one of keen, disappointment that no opportunity is being given for us to meet Mr Hatton. Over a fortnight ago all the Associations wrote about the matter, one reply stating that the position was doubtful being • received, but we were told that it would be seen what could be done. Since then we have heard nothing." .