THE FRUIT CROPS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2715, 9 March 1916, Page 8

THE FRUIT CROPS

FURTHER OFFICIAL REPORTS. Officers of the Horticulture Division further report as 'follows regarding the condition-of tho -fruit crop at the end of February, 1916 (reports from tho four principal centres appeared yesterday) : — .Whangarei,—Applos, only later varieties left, of which there is an average crop; lemons, promiso of averago crop maintained; peaches aro all finished; pears, late varieties only left, there being oiily'short'crop of these; tomatoes are-in good-supply. The heavy rains iu earlier part of month greatly. benefited remaining crops of pip fruits. There lias been a marked absenco of high winds since fruit set. All fruits have ripened quite three weeks ahead of an average season. ! North Auckland.—Apples, some good drops; peaches, early varieties devastated,ivith brown, rot or "ripe rot," late varieties being gathered; pears are a real good crop, especially Bartletts and - Packham's ' Triumph; tomatoes, local good orops being harvested, mildew and caterpillar in evidence. South Auckland. —Apples, good average - crop; apricots, crop finished; lemons, dry weather affccting trees not thoroughly .".cultivated; nectarines, light finishing crop; peaches, light finishing crop; pears, fair crop, "black spot" pre- . valent;. tomatoes, good crop. . Poverty. Bay..—Apples, very heavy crop ; ■'lemons; good ciop ; nectarines have been poor, over two or three weeks earlier-than usual; poaches are, with very few exceptions, a total failure, trees making good growth; pears, fair crop; plums (English), very poor crop; plums (Japanese), poor crop; tomatoes; very heavy crop; walnuts, fair crop. Hamilton.—Apples, early varieties finished, and very poor Gamples, with but few exceptions/ Stone fruits are almost finished, having ripened much earlier than .is usual; in the majority of cases these fruits have boen very disappointing. Tomatoes, blight has made its flppaarance; walnuts, patchy crop. Palmerston North. —Apples, generally quality and colour good, some districts still marked by. hailstones; pears, good crop, very frco from scab .and clean in: .skin ;; raspberries, very good crop, nearly -finished; tomatoes, good crop, very free.from Irish blight. .-'Nelson.-rApples,' prospects main-. ;tained,'.crpp finishing well; lemons, short crops'being harvested; nectarines, short crops being ■ harvested; peaches, short crops being harvested; pears, fair, to. good, crop,'finishing well; plums, good average' crop, about .harvested j tomatoes.-good clean crop. '".BlenheinC-T-Apples, heavy crop, red ''mite'and'woolly aphis very prevalent, some apples falling from trees through insufficient - moisture; lemons, good average crop; nectarines, good medium crop, leaf-roller causing considerable damage;' peaches. good medium crop, leaf-roller causing considerable damage; pears, heavy crop, early varieties being gathered ;.plums. (English), heavy crop, nearly all gathered : plums (Japanese), heavy crop, haivesting. over; tomatoes, medium crop being harvested; walnuts, medium' crop,' portions badly affectcd with, black spot. North Canterbury.—Apples, light crop; nectarines, good crop; peaches, good crop; pears, good orop; plums (English)', fair to good crop; (Japanese) fair'to good crop; tomatoes, fair to good ■crop; walnuts, good crop. Better weather and beneficial rains have been experienced. The season has been-an ideal one for all insect pests; codlin moth is still hatching out freely. , Soutli Canterbury.—Apples, light crop, early varieties ripening _ freely, moth more evident than usual in some districts; nectarines, crops fair, up to expectations; peaches, fair crop, varieties ripening prematurely; pears, very fsir"'crop ; - plum?: (English), crops fair, early varieties harvested ; plums (Japan, ese), heavy crop; raspberries, very* light crops generally; tomatoes, outdoor crops well' forward; walnuts, fair crop expected.