THE FRUIT CROP

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2950, 9 December 1916, Page 12

THE FRUIT CROP

PROSPECTS FOR THE SEASON

Officers of tho Horticulture Division : of the Department of Agriculture report aa follows regarding the condition of the fruit crop at the end of November:— Whangarei.—Apples: Late varieties light, others medium set. Lemons: Good - promise maintained. Nectarines: Very light. Peaohes:-Early and late varieties - light—others', medium. Pears: Medium -' to light.' Plums: Light all round. Plums (Japanese): Light all round. Strawberries: Full supply now coming forward. Generally speaking, tho fruit crop shows indications of being a light one. Early. American plums are on the market. Irish blight is very prevalent. : North! Auckland.—Apples: Early and ' mid-season varieties medium, and late only light. Pears i Mid-season medium ■ to heavy—-all others light.- Lemons: • Blossomed heavily—sotting freely. Nectarines: Light. Peaches: Some varieties second earlies heavy to medium—other varieties light. Plumß (Japanese):. Light. ' Strawberries: Quality of fruit now on market has improved, and good Bupply ' coming forward. - Tomatoes t Looking ■ fair—much affected, Irish Wight generY ally. In. consequence of the weather 1 ;the fruit crop will, at beat, only prove an average one all round. "Ripe-rot," "Pear Black Spot," and "Phytophthora '■' Infestans" are prevalent in this district. Auokland South.—Stone fruits generally very light, particularly apricots— in fact, praotically no crop on." majority -of trees at Thames. Strawberry growers have also felt tho effect of adverse 'climatic conditions. Waikato.—Apples: Patchy. Cherries: ' Fair. ApTicots: light. Gooseberries: ' Rather disappointing. -Lemons: Promising well. Nectarines: Good. Peaches: Good. Pears: Patchy. Some varieties ' light, others fair, spot showing. Plums: ; Fair. More than was- anticipated. ' Plums (Japanese): Heavy. Strawberries: Good. Tomatoes: Promising.' Poverty Bay.—Apples have Bet a good crop. -Apricots: A Tory bad season, no fruit. Cherries: Not grown to any ex-

tent. Gooseberries; Good crop. . Lfinv ons: There is a good showing of flowers. Njecitarines and peaches: Very shy. Pears: Rather light... Plums (Japanese): Good. Raspberries: Not grown to any extent. Strawberries; Good crop. Tomatoes: Bad weather has affected the first truss of bloom. Walnuts: Trees very vigorous. Hawke's Bay.—Apples: Tonatlions and one or two other falling badly, but on the whole an average crop. Apricots; Very light, fell badly in early part of ■ month. Cherries: Now on the market, but not picking too viell. Gooseberries: Average crop whore they escaped the frost. Nectarines: Good average crop. Peaches: Generally speaking, a ligtt crop—fell badly—are still falling very

badly. Pears: Some varieties which'promised heavy crops have now nothing on. Non-fertilisation is tho cause. Bather a gloomy prospect for pears. Plums: Light crop. Plums (Japanese): Good crop. Raspberries: Promising well. Strawberries: Barely an average crop. Tomatoes: Disease rather prevalent under glass—good crop. Walnuts: Promising well. Wanganuii—Apples': Medium to light crop. Heavy wind and cold snaps caused a lot of tho young and-tender fruit to drop. Apricots: Medium crop. Cherries:, Light crop; Gooseberries: Good crop. Lemons: Good average maintained. Nectarines: Medium crop. Peaches: Light crop. Pears: Medium crop. Heavy winil'and cold, snaps caused a lot of the young and tender fruit to drop. Plums: Medium crop. Plums (Japanese): Heavy crop. Raspberries: Fair. Strawberries: Good. Tomatoes:, Looking well, a few early varieties (outside). flowering well. Walnuts: Medium crop. Palmerston North.—Apples: Have 6et in some cases very light, Jonathans being the worst offenders. Pears: Light to. medium, the frost cutting them severely. Cherries: Are below the average. Brown rot showing up badly in some varieties. Nectarines: Good. Poaches: AveragO crop- Raspberries: Promising well. Nelson.—Apples: A good average 6ot. Apricots:' A short crop. Cherries: A good average <|rop now being gathered. Gooseberries: Not much grown, a fair crop now being gathered. Lemons: A fair crop setting. Nectarines and peaches: A patchy crop, promising average returns. Pears: A poor setting iof blossom. Plums: Prospects rather improved. Plunre A heavy crop. Raspberries: A fair crop expected. Strawberries: Good crops now being gathered. Tomatoes: Outside crop : retarded by wet ijeather. Inside crop a good avei'age. Marlborough.—Apples: Every appearonce of a solid crop—especially Sturmers. Apricots: Good. Cherries: Fair. Gooseberries: Good. Nectarines and peaches: Fair crop; somewhat affected by green aphis. Peats: Good. Plums: Fair. Tomatoes'. Good prospects. Christchurch and Suburbs. —Apples: Pair crop. Apricota: Good. Cherries: Fair to good. Gooseberries: Good. Lemons: Not grown. Nectarines: Poor. Peaches: Poor. Peal's: Good. Plums: Very light crop. Plumß (Japanese): Very light crop. Raspberries: Good. Strawberries: Light crop. Tomatoes: Indoor good, outside too early to quote. Walnuts: Good. The past month has been very dry, and red mite on the apples is very prevalent. Th© blaok and green aphis has wrought havoc among the peaches and nectarines. There, was' a heavy frost in some parts on the night of November 29, but cannot say yet what damage was done. Bronze beetles have done Klonsiderable damage to many cherry and plum trees. North) . Canterbury.—Apples: Fair _ to good crop. Apricots: Good. Cherries: Good crop. Gooseberries: Good crop. Lemons: Not grown to any extent. Nectarines: Good orop. Peache3 and pears: Fair crop. Plums: Medium crop. Plums (Japanese): Inclined to be light. Raspberries: Good crop. Strawberries: Inclined to be light. Tomatoes: Inside, fair to good crop; outside, too early to suggest. Walnuts: Good croß. At the present time there is every promise of a good all-round fruit crop. South Canterbury.—Apples: Crops not 6o good as expected. Moist humid- weather rather favourable for black spot. Apricots: Very Fair crop. Cherries: Failcrops generally. Moist weather causing fruit to crack slightly. Gooseberries: Fairly good crop. Nectarines: Fair crops. Aphis rather prevalent in peaches, otherwise fair crops. Pears: Fairly heavy crops generally, black

spot rather provident. Plums: Fair crops gonorally. Plums. (Japanese): Good orops; Black aphis has caused, a good deal of damage. Raspberries: Light wops. Strawberries: lair crops. Tomatoes: Crops under glass Tory satisfactory. Outdoor crops making very little growth.. Otago and Southland.—Apples: Promise good crops. Apricots: Good setting. Cherries: Good. First of season realised Is. 6d. per lb. at Duncdin. Gooseberries: Good. Nectarines: Average. Peaches, pears and plums: All average. Plums (Japanese): Fair. Raspberries: Good. Strawberries: Average. First of season realised 3s. per pottle at Dunedin. Tomatoes : Largo number planted outside. Walnuts: Fair.