FRUIT GROWING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2558, 4 September 1915, Page 7

FRUIT GROWING

OTAGO CENTRAL'S ADVANTAGES. , An "Otago Daily Times" reporter had, a chat recently with Mr. A. Moritzson' upon several aspects of the frnit-growing industry in Otago. ' Mr, Moritzson gave many reasons why apple-growing iii Central Otago was profitable and' certain for the orchardist. In the first' place he said the climate further north ,did not allow the apple tree to. get the complete rest it required in the winter, whereas at that priod in Central Otago tho sap of the tree was absolutely down. Secondly, fungoid and insect pests were oasier to cope with in Otago. The codlm moth had three; and sometimes four, broods in,the north, while it had only one brood in Central • Otago, whore it was easily kept in check by judicio.us spraying. Black spot, which year after year ravaged tho northern orchards,' and in somo cases did, not give the grower half, an income, was almost unknown in Central Otago. With regard to texture, flavour, and colour,' which were so much appreciated, in an export apple, neither , Nel6oh nor any part of the North Island could, lie Paid, ,come within measurable distance of Cen- ■ tral Otago-gi'own apples: This was chiefly owing to, the continuous;, sunshine and clear sky, obtained „duriiij» the summer for • a-stretch of montli at 'a' time. . Attention ;■ was drawn ; tt tho olaim for superiority "of the' Cromwell district especially. 'Within the last few weeks : a Gwernment nomologist from Wellington visited, .this' district, and. on - his return stated that he waa hghly delighted with the. quality .'of < the-Jaqd. tor. fruit-growing. The - fruitgrower in, Central- Otago did not rely upon weather conditions as far ,as rain was concerned, and. water, was at hand at any time when required. The soil ,'was; of a. light alluvial '..kind, in which mineral manures had been "stored' for ages past. When the North Island politicians, in .1913, toured Central Otago's districts they were taken to Mr. Ritchie's farm,,on Cromwell Flat, where they were shown a orop of oats seven feet high. This had been cropped .with' oats for 39 consecutive years, and there was not the slightest sign of .exhaustion. That example could not be-followed "in any other part ,of tho Dominion. Mr. 'Moritzson maintains that the lifetime of •a fruit tree is longer in Otago than amywhere in the north. •' The evaporation of fruit had been tried in the Auokland province with unsatis-. factory results, while the speaker maintained: that there was '.no difficulty to sun-dry or evaporate any ola§s. of : fruit in Central Otago. Onions could, he said, be grown in Central Otago on a scale outclassing, any other part of Australasia, and further testimony to the excellence of the climate and,to the fertility of the soil of the -district . Svas to be fouaid •in . the early harvest season, which commenced, at the samo'time a? i| did in Auokland province. ' '