FRUIT-GROWING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 109, 25 January 1918, Page 10

FRUIT-GROWING

FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY WORK FOR THE NURSERYMEN The Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald (Minister of Agriculture) in declaring open the conference of the Nurserymen's Association, at Christchurch, made seme interesting remarks on tho nursery industry and its relation to the progress of allied industries.

The Minister said there was no doubt those engaged in the primary industries of the country, had beer, doing their best to keep up to date. The nursery industry was one of the most important in ;thc. country at tho prosent time, and was laying the foundation of many important industries. Itwas only necessary for those who did not realise what the nursery industry was to travel round Christchurch and see tho beautiful shelter belts, orchards and other evidences of the nursery industry. While we had a large number of capable, energetic men: working in the industry we could not help but make progress in this country. AVe were only at tho beginning of things in this industry, and every effort should bo made to help those, engaged in it. It was only recently that the business of the orchardist had become an organised ono. carried on on. economic and scientific lines. The, Act of 15)03 had put new life into tho business. Though there were many parasitic diseases in the country at the present time, there was no epidemic that was causing great alarm to orchardists. They looked to tho nurserymen to provide tho proper kinds of trees. Since 1911 the nursery industry had brcomo a very important ono. Tho only drawback so far as the growers of fruit were concerned ' was the provision of markets and cool storage in this country. The Government was endeavouring to help the fruit-growers in this respect and had advanced something like £43,000 to companies for providing cool storage'.

Apples were the most exportable fruit, and it was for tho nurserymen to discover what were the best kinds. It had been demonstrated beyond doubt that with proper care and handling fruit, especially apples, could be oxported to markets beyond the seas. The first shipment of apples was sent away in 1911, when' tho Government guar-anteed-ld. per pound. The apples were landed in good condition in London and since then it had been demonstrated beyond doubt that they could he exported if a payable market could lie obtained. The market we had till the war began was South America, which took the whole of our surplus. It was very small—some '20,000 cases. With the large amount of land planted in orchards since 1911, and the young orchards not yet in bearing, orchardists should be on the qui vive to find markets, and the beßt apples for them. Ho urged the growers to provide for the demand on the local markets at a reasonable price. Only when it was taken up in an economical way, so as to put fruit on the local market at a reasonable price, would the industry become a success. They must satisfy the consuming public of this country. He believed there was business intelligence _ enough among those engaged in tho industry to show them that tho future success depended on that. If unduly high prices were put uii their produce it would probably be the death knell of the industry. 1 litre was a total of 49,855 acres of "omtnercial orchards in New Zealand. . In 1911 there were 33,954 acres m orchard, and there had been planted

I since:— Acres. 1912 2361 1913 2525 1914 3302 1915 » 3588 1916 • 2390 1917 1535 The exports in 1910 were 5647 cases and in 1914, 67,964 cases. The manner in which the Government offer of financial aid had been taken advantage of, said Mr. Mac Donald,_ indicated that the-growers were anxious for the. storage facilities. Referring to the prohibition of the importation of Australian trees;'' the Minister said a very large number of trees were being brought from Australia into New Zealand. At the beginning of this year it became evident that there was some particular disease affecting the Australian trees planted here, arid an Order-in-Council was immediately passed prohibiting the importation of Australian trees. The question of the price at which trees could be sold to orchardists was one that the "nurserymen should go into. When thoy were advising the people to go in for fruitgrowing it was the duty of the Minister of Agriculture to see that the foundation was properly laid so far as the orchards were concerned, and it was with this fact in mind that the Government prohibited the importation of Australian trees. They did not want to bo antagonistic to Australia, but they must 'protect their own agriculturists and horticulturists. Australia had taken strict precautions for the protection of her people, and could not complain at New Zealand for taking similar precautions for her own people. The horticultural branch of the Agricultural Department was doing its best to assist the nurserymen. At no time in the history of tho Agricultural Department had it been as alivo as it was to-dav.