OUR ISLAND ORANGE GROVES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2903, 16 October 1916, Page 3

OUR ISLAND ORANGE GROVES

A PLEA FOlt SCIENTIFIC

ATTENTION.

During last week as a Dominion reporter entered the local fruit market a Wait from decaying > fruit assailed his nostrils, and he' uttered an exclamation.

"It's orange day, sir," said a market employee, implying tho prevalence of a common complaint in connection with orange shipments. Tho reporter investigated the matter, and ascertained that it was the rule rather than tho exception for a shipment of _ oranges from tho.lslands to bo anything from one-third to two-thirds rotten by the time it waß sold in the Wellington markets. This particular shipment was from the Cook Group, brought from Rarotonga to Wellington direct—a six and a half days' run. _ Without picking the fruit over it was impossible to tell Bow much of it was really fit for human consumption, but tho fact was that cases with at least a third of their contents hopelessly rotten, were bringing anything from 10s. to 16s;, showing tho keen demand, and accounting for the fact that Island oranges aro selling iti the shopß for as much as 2Jd. each. The question of fruit arriving from tho Islands in a rotten or partially-rotten condition, is an old grievance at tho markets;

Wo are within a week's steam of Earotonga, and have frequently the experience of seeing a third to half a cargo of bananas and oranges arrive here in a hopeless state. On the other hand, oranges are being imported from California (three weeks' steam distant), and are realising top-of-the-market prices. Yesterday one had to pay 12a. for a case of Cook Island oranges, while the California!! orange could not bo procured under 255. a case, and experienced dealers' in tho market said they wore the best buying. With Californian. oranges arriving in a perfeot condition, and keeping well for - six weeks or two months in store hero after arrival, tho lesson should he very plain to tho Island grower, and to tha scientist of tho orchard. As in New Zealand apple growers have been forced to learn which is tho best koeper, in order that they may invade the most distant markets, so should the Island orange growor enlist the aid of the scientist to make the native non-keep-ing orange a better keeper. Could a good keeping Island orange bo cultivated, growers would never need to worry about returns, nor would New Zealand' need to' look to America for fruits grown within her own dominions, for there is always a steady demand for the orange. Much has been said recently about linking up industry with science more closely than has been the case in tho past. Hero .is a field of endeavour that promises quick results to those who can_ graft a good keepiug orange on to native standards, and so produce an orange that will last—well, as long as Californian oranges.