THE FRUIT CROP

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2355, 11 January 1915, Page 8

THE FRUIT CROP

OFFICIAL REPORT.

Officers of the Orchards, . Gardens, and Apiaries Division report as follow regarding the condition of the fruit crop at the end of December:—

hangarei"—The weather continues very dry, and tho position in the north is somewhat alarming for the orchardist. Fruit of all classes is dropping badly. Strawberries may/ be considered a failure, and if rain does not fall very soon tho tomato crop will prove to be tho same. _ Tho value of deep and constant cultivation is clearly ■ shown tliis yeaT, and it is hoped that orchardists who dp not indulge in much cultivation will be guided in future seasons. Apples, apricots, cherries, gooseberries, and peaches aro heavy crops. Peaches are on the market. Pears: Medium to heavy. Nectarines: Medium to heavy. Plums: Earlier varieties finished; English varieties heavy; Japanese,-medium. Lenions promise an average crop. Oranges: Most of the sweet varieties will be very light; Poor Man, heavy. Strawberries: Very light. Tomatoes: Improving, but prospects aro" for only a fair crop—J. W. Collard. Auckland North.—-Apples, apricots, cherries, gooseberries, good average crops. Lemon trees are looking well, nectarines: A fair crop, but fruit rather small owing ,to the extra dry season. Peaches are a go.od crop, but small on account of dry season. Pears are a good average crop. Plums are a fair crop, but fruit is small. Tomatoes: • Indoor crop, ,r i outdoor plants are growing well.— \v. C. Thompson. Auckland South.—The dry weather still continues, and in somo places fruit trees are feeling tiic effects very badly, l'ruiterowers say it is. the driest season they have known. Apples are. a' good crop. Apricots are heavy,, but on' account of the dry weather a large percentage is small. The same applies to cherries and gooseberries. Pears ' will not be as heavy, a crop as was expected, as considerable/ quantities fell after setting. Many-. plums have also been .Nectarines and . peaches have , been affected by drought, in that: some have fallen, but they - suffered less than apricots. Tomatoes are looking well in spite of the dry season. . • Outdoor-grown tomatoes are now being harvested.—N. R. Pierce. - ■■■:•

, Poverty Bay.—The season continues dry. According to reports received, a frost occurred about the- third week in the month,-but not having.been there since, I have been unable to ascertain what damage, if any, has been done. J rose, is most unusual in Poverty Bay at this season of the year. The season's prospects- were very fair when I was last over the district.—W. It. L Williams.

Hamilton.—Apples: Fair to good, irult 111 some localities is falling rather badly. Apricots: .Fair; early varieties cow being gathered. Cherries: Fair* majority of crops harvested. Gooseberries:, Crops harvested; prices have been good. Lemons: Supply " rather short; young fruit is developing satisfactorily. Nectarines: Very fair; crops .jwJl.be up to expectations. .Peaches: J)air; early varieties selling well., PearsA very good crop. Plums: Medium to lair.. strawberries: Very scarce. Tomatoes: Looking well and free from blight 60 far. Walnuts: Fair; bacteriosis is rattier prevalent.—;r. E. Rodda. , Eastings.—Owing ..to drought, wind' and lato frosts practically all fruit crops are more' or less a fajlure. Garden crops, including potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins, cucumbers," etc., have been out several times, /whilst those ■ which escaped the frost, together with hardier crops, are making very little growth. Vegetal)les generally are very poor. Although lighter than usual, apples and pears are by much the best crops in the district. Powdery mildew .'is . rather pievalent, whilst apple and pear-scab is practically non-existent. . Apples:. Fair and of good appearance. :. Apricots; Light and small. Cherries:' Jjodcratei'. Gooseberries, nectarines, - plums, rasp- - berries: Light. Pears: Fair s Tomatoes: ! Indoor, good; outdoor, almost a failure.! owing to<late frosts." Walnuts:"Better than expected;—J. A. Campbell. ' ■ Wanganm.—Apples: Prospects of a fair crop well maintained. Apricots: A good crop for this district, and maturing satisfactorily. v CherriesA. fair crop. Gooseberries: Good crops still being harvested. Lemons: Good average prospects. Nectarines: ..Crops good and maturing satisfactorily. Plums: Eng■i ~^ ood °. ro P s . °f earfy plums being placed at satisfactory, prices; JapaneseGood prospects generally, but quality discounted by "shothole fungus. Rasi> berries; Prospects excellent in cooler parts of the district. Strawberries': Fair crops being gathered. Tomatoes: Prospects generally very fair.—W. C. Hyde Palmerston North.—Apples:. Good -all over the district. Very little scab where regular sprayings have been carried out. Uierries. Very satisfactory crop;, all harvested. Gooseberries: A heavy crop Nectarines and peaches: Good averago crop; much later this.season. Wind did considerable damage to peaches in some parts of the district. Pears: Nearly all varieties heavy. Williams's Bon Chretien, light. Very little black spot. ,1 turns: English, medium crop; Japanese, heavy. Tomatoes: Very good, but late. Outdoor plants looking very strong and hcalthy.-G. Stratford. ' Wellington—ApplesGoad average crop. Apricots: Fair crop. Cherries: l'air crop, all picked. Gooseberries: bood crop. Lemons, nectarines, peaches, raspberries, and strawberries. are small crops. Pears: Good average crop, fairly free from spot, Plums: English, fair crop; silver blight .prevalent. Plums: Japanese, fair crop; bladder plum not so noticeable this year. Tomatoes: livery appearance of a good outdoor crop; weather is favourable and disease is absent.—T. C. Webb, Jun. . Nolsou.—Apples: A good crop;' fruit superior to last season, being .cleaner and _ freer from nisseting and cracking. ; Apricots; KarJy varieties heavy, but rather small. Later varieties medium to good crop. Cherries: A good crop; nearly finished. Gooseberries:, A good Crop. Nectarines: Medium to good. Peaches: Earlier varieties lighter than anticipated; later medium to good. Pears: Give proiniae of a heavy crop, clean, and of good quality. Plums: Medium crop;-greengages, light. Japanese Plums: Better crop than anticipated ; considered to be up to average. Raspberries: A record crop expected in Ngatimoti district; others medium to , good. Strawberri.es: Poor; red spider played havoc with some plotsi -Tomatoes: Medium to good. "Walnuts: Good crop, freer from spot than usual.-J, H. Thorp. Blenheim.-rLight crops arc general in most parts of the district owing to so many late frosts. A few early varieties of apples, peachcs, and apricots are being gathered. Tomatoes grown under glass are a medium crop. Picking is in full swing, and prices- range from 9d. to Is. per lb: Codlin'moth is not so prevalent as last year. Powdery mildew is doing considerable damage to apples. Silver blight is very prevalent in plums, especially greengages. All fruit is small owing to tho extremely dry season.— B. G. Goodwin. North Canterbury.—During tho month a fair amount of rain fell, proving very beneficial, to all classes of crops. Arsenate of lead is still being freely applied for the control of codlin moth, also emulsified oil and lime sulphur at a strength of 1 to 80. This is doing good work in the control of red mite. Apples: Fair to light. Apricots, goose- , berries, nectarines, peaches: Fair. Pears, plums, cherries, strawberries: Light. Raspberries: Fair to .good. Tomatoes: Good. "Walnuts: Fair.—"W. J. Courtier.

Christcliurcli.—Apples; Very patcliy; crop below average. Apricots: Pair crop. Cherries; Below average, (looseberries; Average crop, ripening freely, i Black and red-currants; Good crops. JSeetaiiftes. jmA Reaches.; Nat mauiJ

grown; crop average. Pears: Very patchy; crop below average. Plums suffered much from frost; crops below average. Raspberries: A good crop. Strawberries: Poor. _ Tomatoes: Indoor crops average; ripening well. Outdoor 'crops are inclined to be backward. Walnuts: Very light; destroyed by frost.— G. Esam.

Timaru. —Apples': A jwor crop. Stuvmers preponderate. Cherries: Early varieties harvested.; Owing to light crop good prices were realised. Gooseberries: A good crop. Pears: Very poor. Williams's Bon Chretien preponderate. Raspberries: Very light on account of devastating winds and want of rain. Strawberries: Very light owing to longcontinued dry weather. Tomatoes are doing well in glasshouses, but plantß outside are making little growth. Walnuts: A poor crop, devastating hot winds have destroyed the catkins.—A.' B. Mansfield.

Dunedin. —Prospects generally continue as reported last month, when it was mentioned that frost had seriously affected apple and pear crops, and that most fruits would yield fair to light crops. Raspberries are in full picking ; also cherries and early peaches are being picked. The main, crop of strawberries has been picked—only a mediuirf harvest. Hothouse tomatoes are being gathered.—W. T. Goodwin.