THE FRUIT CROP

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 94, 14 January 1918, Page 8

THE FRUIT CROP

'REPORTS FROM-THE DISTRICTS.

_ The officers of the Horticulture Division, report as follow regarding tho conditions of the fruit crop at the end of December, 1917:— North Auckland.—Apples: Avorage jet all round. Lemons: Good promise medium crop. Nectarines: Very light. iPeaohes: Average to , light. Pears: -(Early varieties very light, others onednim. Plums: Light. Plums (Japanese) : Light to medium. Straw-, iberries: Ityr supply still coming in; Tain now required or season will finish ivery soon. Tomatoes: Plants growing Veil. Oranges: "Sweet," average crop set; "Poorman," heavy crop set. After an exceedingly wet winter season rain as much, needed now by all orchardists. '-Happily there has been an absence of -hu'mjd weather conditions, which has arrested the further spread of infection from brown rot on the peach and nectarine. Strawberry growers are now experiencing an anxious time, as the beds are very dry arfd rain would bo very welcome. Marmalade oranges ai'o a good set.

Waitemata .—Apples: Average crop all round. Lemons: Older trees looking well and medium setting; young trees not doing as well as might he ■ expected. Nectarines: Light. Peaches: Early varieties light; others light to ;medium. Pears: Light to average; .early varieties especially light. Plums: Light. Plums Light to Strawberries;: Fair supply good quality fruit maintained; diy weather now affecting the plants. Tomatoes: Generally looking- well,-lint need rain. ! Oranges': 'Toorman," heavy set. The month has been a dry one, and, is felt the more severely as /having immediately followed such a vet ■winter. Drying -winds have been experienced, and but a<few days of humid weather. Southerly winds have predominated, and it is gratifying to le•port that these conditions have apparently been responsible for the check of the spread of peach brown rot. Infection from this disease continues to some extent on many varieties, and spraying •with atomic sulphur and lime sulphur is being carried out. A heavy gale from the north-west was experienced around Auckland on the night of December 31. Slight damage to orchards is reported.

Auckland South.—Apples and pears: -Good average crop. Apricots: Crop proved light generally. Stone.fruit '.practically clear of brown rot so far. ■This no.doubt has been assisted by tho dry weather which prevailed during the latter part of the month. Lemons: Good clean fruit realising high prices, .but verrucosis and,grey scab too.prevalent. Strawberries: In full swing, but will soon require" rain. Tomatoes: Outdoor crops now being marketed. Prices ruling good. Waikato.—Apples: Fair. Codlin moth less; in evidence.: Apricot 6: Very fair. Cherries: Light: Gooseberries: Prices ,Tcry good. Lemons: Promising well. ..Nectarines: Very patchy; ripe rot corn-

menced. Peaches: Rather better than anticipated; ripe rot commenced. Pears: Average- crop; spot checked. Plums: Fair orop. Plums (Japanese): Heavy in parts. Strawberries: Crops have turned out well. Tomatoes: Looking well. Poverty Bay.—Apples: Avorago crop. Apricots: Crop was practically a failure. Lemons and oranges have set well, and the crop should bo heavy. Nectarines: Short crop. Poaches: Short crop. Pears: Heavy crop. Plums: Only average crop. Plums (Japanese): Only average crop. Strawberries: Has been a very good season, rain at suitable intervals. Tomatoes: Orop heavy —now being placed on the market in good supply. Walnuts: Average crop. Hawkes Bay.—Apples: Good crop. Apricots: Light. Cherries: Good. Nectarines : Heavy. Poaches: Early now harvesting (light); mid-season on the whole goodcrop. Pears: Good medium crop, Williams short crop. Plums: Poor. Plums (Japanese): Perhaps just below tho average. Raspberries: Promise well. Strawberries: Good. Tomatoes: Good crop promising. Walnuts: Heavy. Wanganui.—Apples: Heavy crops. Spraying for moth being fairly well, attended to. Apricots: Medium crop. Cherries: Good. Gooseberries: Average crop. Lemons: Good. Nectarines: Medium. Peaches: Light. Pears: Good crop; pear scab prevalent in some districts. Plums: Light. Plums (Japanese): Varied; ripe rot has made its appearance again. Raspberries: Good. Strawberries: Good. Tomatoes: Fruit setting well. Walnuts: Light. P.almerstou North.—Apples: Heavy to medium. Apricots: Light; sho'tholo fnngns prevalent. Nectarines: Light to medium. Peaches: Light. Pears: Light. Plums: Heavy. Plums (Japanese) : Heavy. Apples are showing well though lighter than at first anticipated. Brown rot in cherries-.caused a big loss among those growers who were not successful in combating it. Plums heavy and fairly free from.brown rot. Blnok spot bad in places. Codlin active in smaller neglected orchards.

Nelson.—Apples: Spraying, thinning, etc, is receiving more attention this year; together with suitable weather conditions to date, as a result the crop generally promises to be of good quality Apricots: The crop is now being harvested satisfactorily. Cherries and gooseberries: A very fair crop is being gathered. Lemons: Trees receiving attention arc doing exceptionally well. Peaches and nectarines: Small crops maturing well. Tho trees are making growth that promises well for another season. Pears: A very fair .crop, maturing well. Plums: Moderate crops now being gathered. Raspberries and strawberries are cropping well. Raspberry picking commenced about the middle of the month. Tomatoes: The season so far has . been a good one for tomato plants; gathering the "outside" crop .has commenced.

Marlborough.— Apples.—Trees generally looking very well. Among our mam varieties the condition of crops are: Stunners, heavy; Delicious, fairly good; Jonathan, good; Dunns, mostly very light. Apricots: Variable, some good crops.. Cherries: Have been a very good crop. Nectarines: Variable, some good crops. Peaches: Variable, some good crops. Pears: Fair. Plums: Fair. Plums (Japanese): Good. ' Tomatoes: Good. Walnuts: Good. Canterbury and West Coast.—Apples: Fair to good crop. Apricots: Good crop. Cherries: Almost finished. Gooseberries: Almost finished. NecArines: Medium crop. Peaches: Medium crop. Pears: Medium crop. Plums: Fair crop. Plum (Japanese): I*air to good crop. Raspberries: Good crop. Strawberries: Fair crop. Tomatoes: Good crop. Walnuts: Promise fair to good. During the month of December the weather was very changeable. A fair amount of rain fell and wind was very prevalent. A hailstorm passed over Canterbury and did a good deal of damage in some localities. Diving to the changeable weather spraying has been very difficult. Codlin moth has not hatched out as freely as last year. Black spot and pear scab are inclined to be troublesome. Christchurch and Suburbs.—Apples: Light to , medium. Apricots: Fair. Cherries: Good. Gooseberries: Good Nectarines: Fair. Peaches: Fair. Pears: Medium. Plums: Heavy crop. Plnms (Japanese): Heavy. Raspberries: Fair to good. Strawberries: Fair. Tomatoes.- Good. Walnuts: Good. The past month, has been' a very changeable one, a good deal of rain has fallen, and there have been some heavy winds doing a good deal of harm to unsheltered fnlit trees and tomato patches. Black spot and fungus diseases in general are very prevalent this year, and I am afraid will account for a good deal of loss to the apple and pear crops. South Canterbury—Apples: Looking well, much dropping through wet. Apricots: Poor. Cherries: Poor. Gooseberries : Better than expected. Nectarines: Disappointing. Pears: Same as last month. Plums: Filling out well. Raspberries: Scarce. Strawberries: Very poor. Tomatoes: Indoor looking well. Outdoor first class. Walnuts: Good crop. The weather during the month has been generally wet and cold alternating with intensely hot and windy weather. During the latter days two short but severe hailstorms passed over the district, and a good deal of damage was done to foliage. Otago: Apples: Good condition. Apricots: Good condition. Cherries: Being harvested. Gooseberries: Picking some places. Lemons: Not grown. Nectarines: Looking well:. Peaches: Looking well. Pears: Looking well. Plums: Looking well. Plums (Japanes): Looking well. Raspberries:

Commencing to pick. Strawberries: Nearly over. Tomatoes: Looking well. Walnuts: Looking well. Wet and cold weather prevailed during tho early part of the month.

Southland.—Apples: Light crop, damaged hy hail. Gooseberries: Heavy crop. Pears: Average crop, poor quality, damaged by hail. Plums: Light crop. Raspberries: Good crop. Tomatoes: good crop indoors.