THE FRUIT CROP

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2874, 12 September 1916, Page 8

THE FRUIT CROP

; ' Tu™ NEXT SEASON'S PROSPECTS. , ~-H- Officers of the Horticulture Division j'-'of tho Department of Agriculture rc- '* j port as follows'regarding the condition •-, /vT'Tof tho fruit crop at the end of August, • ::;;ii9i6:- ,"■:•' ~r\" ;1V" South Auckland.—Apples: Practical- ; ,„,Jy all pruning, and winter spraying ;';•. incompleted. Apricots: Every indication ; .—crops abovo average.. Lemons: Look- . ■-'■--ing well. Plums, nectarines, . and ' '"•'poaches: Majority have been sprayed " ! *'and are promising -well. A number ."■'""of trees in blossom last month, hut reoeivedJta check througii "Srrs : :^,month being ,so wet and boisterous. ..■:•', -~;Pears: Promise good average crop. : ■ Just starting free ..?-• growth. Tomatoes: House plants d 0■,...' ■~..' ~ving well, outdoor being planted. 'm. fav- *•> ourablo situations. August has about ;' "'""broken the record for rain this season. , '*".'■; Poverty Bay. l —This month! has been wot, retarding, ground work and , Several growers have the '■. ■ .''.„;..treos to hand waiting a favourable op.„.]sortunity to plant. Stone fruit is show->»-ing good promise, although rather vr backward for this time of the year. --'Apples and pears have exceptionally "'good spur development and maturity. "VHawke's Bay.—Peaches, promise well and are holding their buds much better than usual. Orchard work, including ploughing, is; still much bohind. A .;■: ''■':/ good demand-still continues for local :'-.'■-;■ cool.store apples. .v 'Wanganui.—Owing-.to' this month,be.tenng. so wet, spraying is very much dc■'.''^"lkyed.. A small quantity of-fruit is' ■ incoming into the market. Good demand , ,|: . for first quality ,fruit. .. _. ■ , i Wellington—Buds are swelling, and ■■ \''',y there is every appearance of a- record ';..;>; crop of apples, pears, plums, and ''.'"•"■ gooseberries/ : Tomato plants are being ' -'- prinked out for the Novomber plant- ■. •• dug. Cultivation is still in. progress .'.'.ihj some parts of tho district. This "'",!;■ month is, practically speaking, the 'or-. .:■ .'-t.-'chardist'd month to commence fungi- ;.-- cide sprayings. ...— \ Nelson.—The orchard-trees generally '"'■■', 'are in good normal condition. Consider- ;-'■': able attention has been given to pruni. .;:'..'ing and spraying. The weather has ;'..''.'.-/ been wet and cold and tho spring is '.'■.'■ £-. late. Plums arid peaches are commenc- ;■• i ing to'blossom.; ' . ; . A ' 'V- Marlborough.—Tho district has ex-';■-.''it perienccd. many wot days during' tho ;;t month,--culminating in a fairly heavy :■■-',fall of snow, even, on the flats. .Since ■.-" f. .the - weather has. .taken'up,- growers £ have been busy spraying. Plums and pcaclios arel forward, and many have " burst into bloom. There havo. been a ; ,i .-' few fairly severe frosts, up to. 12 def •'.' r- "'grec's. r i Canterbury and West. Coast.—Plant- :-.'■%'*. , ing on tho heavy land, has been at a !■'.' •'"* standstill, but the north-west winds •'* which have been prevailing during the

past few dnys are rapidly drying the ground up. . Christehurch City and Suburbs.— Some of tho early plums are a mass of bloom, and pears and peaches are beginning to burst into bloom. -Plant-' ing of tomatoes under glass is woll under way, and some houses havo their plants ivcll established.' Otago and Southland. —Fruit trees aro well' forward. Cold weathor and snow experienced during the month, milder at the end of the month. Somo hothouse tomatoes planted.