THE FRUIT CROP

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2431, 9 April 1915, Page 8

THE FRUIT CROP

AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT'S REPORT, i Reporting on the fruit crop in tho Wellington and other districts the Department of Agriculture's agents say: . Wellington.—Apples: A vast improvement in clean fruit. Yield is up to expectation. Red spider'" and mildew 1 are causing annoyance this year. Late crops are promising well. Lemons: A few trees'grown, here and there, : are Riving good crops. Pears: Good crops of very Mclean fruit this year. Blaok spot 1 and moth are well under control. Plums: ■ Good crops, finished. ' Tomatoes :-;'KTariy growers suffered, their lower trusses of fruit not setting, heavier -feeding of the plants had to bj resorted to to encourage top growth and fruit. The yield is above expectations. !

: .Nelson.-jfAU fruit practically finished except apples and pears. Two shipments of .apples sent to-South America this month; quality very good, and grading much improved. Late varieties of apples-inclined to be ot small side; otherwise good. Pears ar© very .'. good. Large quantities being cool stored in this district. Fruit very clean.

Blenheim.—Apples: Medium orop. Harvesting, in full swing. Codlin moth jess/than last year, very, little scab showing. Cherries: All fruit gathered. Lemons: Good average crop. Nectarines and. peaches: All fruit gathered. Pears: Medium to heavy crop. Pear scab ■ less than last season. Plums, raspberries, and strawberries: All fruit harvested. Tomatoes: Nearly all satli'ered, good crop. Walnuts: Light crops.

Hastings—Apples: Turning out fairly well.'Colour good, size (owing to drought) is small in certain localities. Pears: Good crop, but have suffered in size in some localities even more than the apples. Tomatoes: Unsatisfactory. Walnuts: Fair crops gathered. Splendid rains have fallen during the month a;nd the country is now in a beautiful condition and the benefit to orchard trees cannot be estimated. ■

Wanganui.—Apples: Excellent crops now being harvested. Apricots: Crop gathered, the trees' Generally are in good heart." Cherries: Crop gathered. Gooseberries: The bushes have made fair _ growth; more bordeaux spraying required. Lemons: A very fair crop maturing. Nectarines: A satisfactory crop has been gathered. Peaches: Some excellent late peaches are now being harvested. Pears: The pear crop has surpassed expectations. Plums: Crop nearly • over. Raspberries and strawberries: Crop over. Tomatoes: A better season than for some years. Walnuts: Above the average. Good autumn rains have been experienced during the month that have greatly revived the trees, and .helped to mature the cropa.

Palmerston North. —The drought in the Wairarapa has at last broken, rain falling on ten days in the latter part of the month. Many of the late varieties of apples and pears will benefit considerably, but on the old trees fruit generally is small.. A few thousand cases of apples will be exported out of the country from this district ..this season, and in the near_ future a big increase will be shown in the output from this district.