NORTH ISLAND FRUIT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 475, 6 April 1909, Page 2

NORTH ISLAND FRUIT.

THE SEASON REVIEWED. CHANGES OF AN EXPORT TRADE. Mr. AV. A. Boucher, Government Pomoio« gist, who has just concluded a lour of inspection ol the lruit-growing districts of the North Island, .stilled to an interviewer (status out special Auckland, correspondent) that the iruit season just closing had been a very satisfactory ono throughout. Tlio crops generally had been good, and tlio prices realised by the .producers most gratifying, "ihero lias," Mr. Jtoucher said, "also been a marked improvement in the condition of the fruit, particularly as regards ' apples, pears, and peaches. Tlio great majority of the iino <;roys I saw were absolutely freo from disease or blemish. This I attributo to tlio modern, easy, and inexpensive methods, which are lion' being adopted by growers in grappling with the orchard pests. These pests, 1 am glad to say, are steadily diminishing from season to season, so that I am hopeful that in a few years they will have almost become a thing of the j nst. 1 made a very careful examination throughout the various districts for traces of tins Mediterranean fruit fly, but I was nnaVlo to discover any. Evidently the stops which were taken last season to eradicate it who absolutely effective. ' Judging by the way in which tho industry is progressing at tlio present time, Now Zealand in a few years' timo should become a fruit-exporting country. In tho past, visitors hero liavo wanted to know why wo did not export fruit, as is done ill Tasmania. Tho reason lias been that up to tho present we have not had a surplus for export. Tho prices realised on the local market liavo been so satisfactory that there lias been 110 inducement whatever for tho grower to look for an outside market. Now, however, growers realise tho possibilities of an export trade, and a great deal of planting is going on_ in tho various districts with that end in view. I think that probably lieforo many years aro past, wo shall launch forth as fruit exporters, and that fruit-growing will become ono of tho staple industries of New Zealand. For the first timo facilities aro now afforded locally for tho storago of fruit, and growers aro taking advantago of this, several hundreds of cases now being in store. Should tho experiment provo a success, as there seems no reason to doubt, several thousands of cases will probably bo stored next season, thus regulating tho supply and lengthening tho season."