OUR FRUIT SUPPLY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 502, 8 May 1909, Page 14

OUR FRUIT SUPPLY.

A VISIT TO AUSTRAUA. /SOME INSTRUCTIVE OOMPAMSONS. IHE LABOUR QTJBSinON. Ux psLseuni.—Brian cos**sroifDiisiil Hastings, May 7. ' 'Mr. Thomas Horton, tho well-known manager of the ■ Thomas Horton, ; Ltd., * Nursor- ' ies at Frimloy and Pahiatua, has just returned from an extended tour of New South : Walos; Victoria, and Tasmania, -in which States he travelled somo 8600 miles inspecting orchards and nurseries, and ' comparing methods in use. Ho took over with him a few oases !of apples—Jonathans, Munro's Favourite, and Stunner Pippins—on behalf of tiha Ha-wko's Bay Fruit Growers' Association for the purpose of.being shipped to. England, witi the object of-, ascertaining the 'likelihood of establishing -a ' trade in the Home oorintries. These apples were unpacked in Melbounio and tiiippea witih a large conrignmeni of Tasmanian ; apples in cool storage.;' In conversation with your .correspondent he gave some of . his .impressions. , ■ . "Thero was at'tho . ..Royal " Agricultural Show," ho said, "a most, comprehensive disE lay of apples and pears, in which I take a eon 'interest, as you will readily understand, and as everything was named; I examined the exhibits carefully-to discover ,if the varieties grown undor bortain names. were the same as are .grown in this country. V I found thai wo grow practically everything that'they do, there being only one or two exccptionfi, ' and thoy 'were, as" regards apples, not loading commercial varieties. The ■varieties which Neiy Zealand nurserymen and orehardiets recommend - for planting as leading commercial lines are practically the same'as those grown;in, the r Gommbafre'al(;h •States: This '• is - a very important matter, becanso if their ' shipments to Groat: Britain ' and other parts of theivorld.of certain-varie-ties command a ready salo at top priccs,' it is of vital consequence, if we are to 'build up an export trade;; for us to grow" tho ''same . varieties; and to bo sure that' they, are .true to namo. : This latter. is also a matter of i.paramoun,t oonoern to growers. ■ To my mind . the' time 'is. hot ! far distant 'when- we must export apples m largo quantities ..(priacipally to. England and.Germany), because there are many' hundreds.; of acres 'being plaited of sorts suitablo for. export, and in order to get a fair price it will be necessary to ease the local markets by 'Shipping" fhe 'surplus away." ~ ; ' , Tho Codlin Moth.-■ Yes,, our old enomy, the codlin moth, escaped your calculations, Mr. Horton?.-;- . ' 'i .. "The i codlin moth should possess no terrors for growers now I was afforded tho • fullest faralrties. by: tho Governments of Victoria, Now South Wales, and Tasmania, , for . visiting' their ;experimental .farms,:and : the leading - orchards and nurseries,' picking up and giving information useful to both , parties. I \found that almost 95' per cent, of the growers wore satisfied that the arsenate of lead spray had coped: so successfully with this groat pest thiit they have "no; dread of it, and they have' agreed that thoy can now aare 98' per cent, of the crop, although, at one timo, it looked as if tho industry was doomed. : "There is a bright future before the apple industry 'in HawkoV Bay. ; The shippers from, Melbourne report that; tho apples I took'over' comparo' very favourably with the .Tasmanian-grown fruit, and, in fact, they cay it would bo very difficultjto distinguish the one from tho other. I . assure-you that thoso who saw thom wore so much impressed with their.; quality and general suitability for export,- that several gentlemen interested m the trade expressed their intention of visiting Hawko's Bay.shortly to sat-isfy.'themselves-■■'■.regarding the possibilities of tho industry in, this district. ~,.; v But it .is said that arsenate of lead and Other sprays poison ' aro ..danger-, ous to tho consumer. "There is absolutely no danger,'/ replied i Mr. Horton, '."in' eating sprayed" apples, be-1 cause the mixture is so wcak"that'l ."w6idd bo prepared to .eat'apples ' after- thoy- 'had | been immersed .in tho liquid. Why, if_ it woro strong enough to destroy human life, it: would bum all tha; foliage off . the -troe. It would bo absolutely impossible for a manl to eat anything liko the number of sprayed apples neccssarj to create .poisonous sym--V- "■S-.-'v''-". I '-.:' - :':'--"',. ■,-;■ ;. l " Labour Conditions. Did you ■ observe, anything in the condi-; tions prevailing on tho other . side which is likely to be of interest?"- _ . . . "Well, I was much 1 struck with tho conditions of labour aB it affects orchards and • nurserymen. .. You can get good men with years of experience able to-give a fair day s work ;at 6s. for a day. of 10 hours. Yes, and these are married men, too, with families 'to keep, and I want • impress upon you that the ss. a day'did not includo their keep. This class are living -practically. .-from hand' to. mouth all .their , lives, with ■nothing to sparo for i pleasure or recreation.. Several of them beggod mo te' bring' them to Now Zealand, so _ I engaged, fottr, practical men, who will arrive in a day or two, at 10s. for eiglrt-'houre; .and,'are looking forward to lifo'WTthl'Wjpo 'at'last. - Bread and meat, in 'Australia are about tho" samo pnoo.as.haro, but olothing ia cheaper. "What ■I was most interested in is . that ' tho' Australian nurserymen' bring thooisands and thousands of .trees, produocd -under;these cheap labour conditions to Now Zealand, and canvass for orders from door to door. Kiey are not burdened j with duty or restrictions of any kind, and they sell'at a fraction under tie local rates/so it bohovos.'tho Government to take steps to protect the' industry ■ in. tho. Dominion- Imagine my suipnso • when ,1 : found! tbat, ,Chinamen : were eiiployed-by,- some of - the j. leading ; nurserymen in Australia. I said to thom, j,lf I ;did as you are; doing in my. country I-'ivould-expect to be hanged to ■tho first kmp 1 , post,'- and serve, mo ,i right./, Tho Australian employers pleaded that'the Chmamen were partictilarly suited to , the work." How-do yon viow Chinese labour apart from race prejudice? V • "Well,'l carrot but agree that tho Chinese aro' useful and: conscientious men in garden work, and aro particularly well- adapted to some branchoSi' but thoir labour i& choap, and I;; am opposed' to, encouraging yellow • settlement at-the expense of our own workers. I like employing good men and giving them a good wage for. a good day's work. "After" a conscientious tour of the three States, I camo back hero more than ever satisfied that Hawko'B Bay is the place; and ofter, an inspection of lie principal orchards, irursoricsj - and experimental farms, I can st-ito positively that I saw no land to equaj tho Hawko's Bay. land. Trees grown here -and sent,out have beon_so satisfactory .that one firm; alone<-is. spending many thousands this year; especially in peach troes. The V fruit crops in ' Australia. this season. are excollent, rather 'heavier than the crops in New : Zealand, and the firet returns to hand from England aro very satisfactory."