FRUITGROWERS VICTIMISED.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 872, 19 July 1910, Page 4

FRUITGROWERS VICTIMISED.

■ : . UNAUTHORISED SPRAYERS. (By Telegrapl;.- Association.* Christchurch, July 18,_ An imposture of which local fruitgrowers are being made the victims haa been brought under the notico of the local Agricultural Department. It appears that a small party of men provided with spraying apparatus and mixtures have been visiting various fruitgrowers in the suburbs and applying for permission to spray fruit trees. They represent to the owners.-that they, are officers in the Department of Agriciilture, authorised to inspect, orchards, and do what spraying may be necessary. Should the fruitgrower engage them, tho work is done and a charge made and collected. Where' no order is obtained, however, the sprayers leave verbal notico that unless spraying is done within three weeks prosecution will follow. The threat is usually efficacious, and the supposed officers of Department add another job to their list. One fruitgrower _ became somewhat curious as to the identity of the, sprayers, and inquiries ho made convinced him that the men were entirely unconnected with the Agricultural or any other Department, and tho notices they were giving, were quite unauthorised. '