THE FRUIT FAMINE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 48, 20 November 1907, Page 2

THE FRUIT FAMINE.

A LESSON IN PRICES. Now Zealand is suffering in silence an acute fruit famine From remarks mado at Hastings lately by the North Island poinologist, Mr. W. A. Boucher, it appears that the famino conditions will continue for another year or two. They are attributed to the exclusion from the town market of pest-infected fruit, which previously to the enforcing of the Orchard Pests Act helped to swell the supply. New plantations arc expected in-a year or two to relieve tho situation. Prices attached to the pyramids of fruit in a Wellington shop window this week show an extraordinary disparity between cost of production and cost of purchase:— Red Apples.—An oven sample, three inches in circumference, quality probably fair. Can be grown at a profit at Id. per pound. Price Bd. per pound. < Red apples, very similar to the above at the front of the pile, but deteriorating at the back. Price 6d. Green \pples.—2J inches in circumference. Sets your teeth on edge to look at them. Proper v.ihie, about 41bs. for 2d. Price "only 4d, per lb." Small reddish apples, 2 inches; shrivelled; probably mealy-fleshed. 4d. per lb. Cherries, Is. 6d. per pound. Tomatoes.—Medium size. Marked with many bruises. Had been too much shaken up and mauled about; probably cleaned with a dirty cloth; not at all apperfcing. Is. 2d. per lb. Very small, dry mandarins, not much but skins, 6d. per dozen. Ordinary oranges, 3 inches. Small, thickskinned, rough sample, Is. a dozen! Larger oranges, 3 to 4 inches, thickskinned. Is. 6d. por dozen. ■ Lemons, medium size, thin-skinned. The only fruit worth its price. 6d. per dozen. At these prices for what is mostly rubbish there is good room in New Zealand for the investment of capital in the orchard industry.