A GROWING INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2536, 10 August 1915, Page 8

A GROWING INDUSTRY

EXPERT AID NEEDED. The/ rapid development of the fruit industry.-; and .t'he-need ,for expert advice aud ■'iusthictioii- iu apple-growing and paclong;'were' piit ;bofore the now (the Hon. TV. D. S. MaoDo'iiald) by a'fkputation from the .FrmtgrowersViCk)nfei?K!e yesterday. It was .urged, that in'this quality of our product lve could not compete with California, and that -therefore the New Zealand Government should send two : 0 f the '"best■•.experts'-in the Orchard Division of tlio'Department of Agriculture to : collect. all; the information obtainable, ' ospecially the training and spraying" octrees. The Minister said there was no .doubt about the great possibilities in the'industry, but the requests" meant the expenditure of'money, and on this point at presentV tlie Government "had to- bo careful. At'the, same time, he recognised tlatv/esp.wdifcnrei on anything that would increase production in this country .at >:this Vpresent time, • : ,when there was sucli-a; demand npon.us 'for foodstuffs of: all kinds, would, not bo money lost or wasted. He also recognised that tlie. fruitgrowing industry utilised -many acres of laud unsuitable, for agriculture or pastoral purposes, and as-tlie; best tiTe.as of the couutry were.' rapidly being settled this was. an important matter to bo remembered in our endeavours to develop our productivity.—He would not make ' any promises, ::but would go into the requests and consult the Prime Minister and his colleagues. 1