THE FUTURE FOR FRUIT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 463, 23 March 1909, Page 2

THE FUTURE FOR FRUIT.

EXPANDINC OUTLOOK. SIGNS OF A SURPLUS. It will bo. novel for New Zealand to have a surplus of fruit. Consumers have been so accustomed to regarding fruit as an expensive sort of luxury that is scarco and very dear by tho time it loaches them, that a rumour of a surplus of good fruit will be scarcely credited. Vet it is Jlr. Uoucher, the Government Nomologist, who uttered this bit of optimism. "In a year or two," bo said, "as things are going, 1 expect there will be a surplus of apples." Your reasons? (asked a Dominion* reporter). "Spraying against codlin moth is making headway. It has had such good effects in enabling growers to produce clean fruit that they are encouraged to pay more attention to tho Crop." Good Results from Spraying. "At Whangaroi," continued Mr.- Boucher, an hotelkeeper, who grows a quantity of apples, was persuaded to spray his trees, and lie was so pleased at the results that lie is now quite converted to tho system, lie has lots of fruitgrowers calling at his hotel, and as his cuso has been mentioned ill tho newspapers, they aro likely to ask him about it, and become themselves converted." Ho will be a sort of "friend at court" ? "Yes. The same success has been secured in nunierous other instances, and tho influence will. be apparent in tho increased output." Gold Storage Coming. What do you mean by a "surplus"? "There is a certain lovel of prices at which fruitgrowing pays. I anticipate that very soon, after all the fruit that is required at thoso prices has been supplied, there will be a surplus." What will happen to the surplus? "That is where tho cold storage movement will become useful. It will bo stored, and marketed steadily till fruit comes in again. At Auckland, tho freezing Company has already provided cold storerooms for fruit, and it is 'available for uso this season. Tho amount of fruit that will bo available for storage there will not bo largo this season, but-the company considers it will be sufficient to justify them making a beginning. Arrangements for fruit storage have not yet been mado in Wellington. The supply would not yet Warrant it here." Will Apples bo Overdono? The new largo orchards that have been laid down in tho last two seasons were alluded to, and Jlr. Boucher was asked Whether the extensive planting of the two varieties, Jonathan and Sturnier, might not be overdone. He replied that ho thought not. Tho storage arrangements would prevent that, and storage would be easily procurable in Wellington as elsewhere, so soon as tho supply of fruit warranted it.