FRUIT AND HONEY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2306, 13 November 1914, Page 8

FRUIT AND HONEY

GOOD PROSPECTS AHEAD.

i:V;-V Reports received by the Agricultural j; from officers of the/ Oγ-■i-chaids,' Gardens, and Apiaries Division S--'? 11 'tbe:fruit crops at the aid q'f-Ootober j'/.V'iiijdicateion tho whole-that tho-coming fruit'season will bo good. .. / .. ; ,. ti£i ;,The,report for ttye Wellington district are';showing a very; jj;-large crdp, : while,there'is. a better supply ;.■.";. iif./pears; in, sight than last year. There i/ = 13/a>very -fair 'show of' young cherries, ',;/but'a email crop of peaches, and. leaf p - curl ;;is ! in: evidence, /while ;the crop of |,;,;hectarines' issmall. Plum's show a fair |i::/to'medium crop; raspberries aid straw--0 berries'/, small; .gooseberries;'.a; good ;;;■';crop,, but..not -up to -last year. "■ •••£ fair ju'iquantijiy:of-'tomato plants are being.set f:/;dut,'-aEd if;the weather holds good/there a-record prop.'// All varieties £ ; ;of;the'apple, crop;.in Nelson are setting' \ vheavily,; aid iip to. the present, they i/:-:are .veryiffee from/black spot..,-,TJnfor- !';;; tirnately,.- however, powdery -'mildew, is S:yWy;-noticeable in. places/ (Pears, have; K;|nlso>seu,well, and givo promise , of a good. f. ieron.:■;';,Varieties. such .as ..Winter Nolis Josephino, which-are bWen.inclined 'o,tp. b}e,shy- : liaye set good,crops. There/ is. black spot in/places, biit gener-' !;.'( al]y;up to;the-present.pears, are) very. ■••:Apricots show : a : good and [4; thinning out will bo. necessary on some -';The fruit is. very-freo from shot- ; Pea'chos; promise- a-/good i,:V-;crop,/with/the .exception."'of-Elberta,,■ tfCwKioh.iippejirs to be.:lighter than/usual. f:',i!Aph/is is. in/evidence.in ■p'lace'si: and; there i;;;/is.':moi'e;.']eaf' curl , , than , woiild be exl;;/;pected/in'a'.dry season;- .In contrast-to /Wellington district,; nectarines •■pro-.-S;.;/jnise/.we11.; in Nelsou,'' while -plums, ,al:;^thongh:;lisutor than last,/year,':/ivill no f/'-rdoiibt'/vurn'out.a very.fair. crop..Strawan abunclancoi "of }.i ;fruity'-Wliichas likely to be small. TomaS-.; : .toes .planted but early in the month, ff Buffered-soinewhat from frost) but/there: J-'-.:i ivill /be1 v a'. good- area in /tomatoes this |;// seasons The .effect.' of-/the; drought is' fji / being; felt ou the. small ■ fruit ;crops l:■■'■ • •': / t';-V!.vln;the Northern .provinces. the fruit j'/Zreports^are'very-good, despiteltte fact t.- C : that' lafe frosts did .some /damage in the; ;;;i\Vaikatd;' In- Hastings, the report stateSj': i-;" ; -dry:/weath'er:.,.still continues—there/ has', l^-/been,; little ./or ho -ram to speak of,'in ;>: the/ district,;sinco May 'last. ;./The (con-. ;/i/;tinued'dry weather, is haying a very bad 5// effect/da, garden crops, and 'must later, i'nffect uncultivated or badly cultivated l-v.orchardsr.'L'ate frosts ■and tomatoes, ,and other, soft or'opa [/:) : 'nre'/suffering;Un.consequence: A'rather. Ji^Eeyere■;frost! occurred :,on:,October //19, ■t-.Jojud/didj/a moderate 'amount }of damage' jl c ,;to./'.apple's,- etc. -. Several If-fcyarieties^of'apples and peaxs -arebear-' [ft; ingiwelij. wjiilst, others. ! are : light, and: ft'-;' n-.'fair of bo'th l :c.lasses, of..'fruit S'lbinay.''be $spected. In the case of stone /owing to frost many j.jL/brops/will b'e ;light; '.whilst, the/ more. KUitortxina'te growers will have/from "good f Etb.h'eayj/crops. ;In WanganuLshd Pal-;i/;:nierstori-:-North.all fruit-s are/proniising i; ; /.,exceptionally': well.;. y",' ' ■'."■ .; ;■■■■:'■'-" ■;.; j,'.;'f'3l'e-; weatfcr/has not been- altogether ( {"".'.winds, suow,',and froßis';'did*'.a'considerr- :-•; able'amount-ipf,damages 'r-tq-^all , ." kinds.of' f-:ji ruitSj : applesjia sdme/casei/'being.takeni.t'/ivith/:the ,ffo!rt:'' ; - The : was,; stilli [■r/i unsettled;: arid, frosts continued, ] when on Ootober 18 did a cpn-amount-./'of damage. /.Good tS fruitferops promised; early in the/montij : - '{:': and/were destroyed in 1 a night: ■; Apples, i:.;;.jpearß,') plums,. cnerries,,/ ; walnuts,; and % gooseberries';. 'suffered,-. heavily; other ;•./fruits..were damaged .to a much less ex-

tont. Apricots look well, and promise a good crop, but tho cherry crop is inclined to be light. Nectarines and - poaches 'give promise of a good crop. ' Keporfcs concomnig tho honey pios--1 pects state "hat the weather in the Auckland diirtrict continues very, dry, ,and unlbss Eomo good soaking rains occur during the next few weeks the prospects of securing an average honey crop will not be bright. The honoy ; market locally is quiet. Fifty-two casee "■ —were shipped by the Ruahine, the bulk being graded "Good medium amber." In Wellingtoii thero is every indication for a good season, with good prices. Canterbury is suffering from want of , aain, now, but there is a good show of 1 clover, and prospects aro promising. The industry is gradually developing, as I shown Ly tho fact that from May Ito October 31,11313, 567 cases wero graded, /while from November 1, 1913, to Oc- ' tobor 31, 1914, 1252 cases were graded. In Dunedin it is early to give any inHicatiou as to the 'prospects of this season's orop.