THE FRUIT CROP

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 150, 14 March 1918, Page 10

THE FRUIT CROP

: ' T-ftEVIEW; OF THE POSITION.. 1 : Officers of the horticultural' Division 'oflithe Department;! of Agriculture■Tβ]iort.'as_ follows regarding the conai- : .-. > ti<ms:.of the'fruit .crop, at tho end of . February, 1918:—: " North Auckland^—Apples: Only late ■ ' .luidseason and late varieties now left. .Lemons: Average crop. Pears: Bon ' ■ 'Chretien finished;, late varieties being ~\harvested! Tomatoes: Fair supply : .still coming in. "Oranges: Poorman, ■"■ - heavy to medium; .'.sweet, average. , • 'iHumid conditions, have, ruled. There ; *'haye been heavy rainfall and high winds. - A cyclone caused some damage to orchards on the 14th and loth. Infection from brown rot is heavy on stono nnd pin fruits. Outdoor grapes are on tho market. ■'' ' - Waiteiuata.—Apples: Average; midseason varieties nearly finished. Lemoiis: Average crop. Peaches: Only •• last late varieties left. Pears: A light - crop of late varieties only left. Toma- - toes: Nearly finiehod. Oranges: Poorliian, heavy to medium. The weather lias been unusually hnmid, with an ab- , Benco. of cool nights. .The rainfall :.. lias been good, but high winds from v the north-east have ruled. There was, ■ ■Iα consequence, considerable infection ■ ■ from brown rot, especially in 'stoje '..-■- fruits. On the ,16th and 17th the ' weather became remarkably humid— \ with,disastrous results to tho remiiin- , ingtpeach crops, many growers losing v ..over 50 per'cent, of their crop within ; "..''Seventy-two-hours. Bon Chretiens are .'■ finished. . A cyclonic storm visited ■ Auckland district on the 14th and '■: ■ .15th, causing some damage to or- '-. chards.; .- I ; Auckland South.—Apples and pears • ', now being marketed freely. Apple /.crop fairly heavy.' Pears generally .. lights Brown rot, though.not so bad : ns last season, still has claimed heavy toll,(.especially, amongst lato, varieties of peaches: .--.-"., •'■ Wsikato.—Apples: Turning out very ' ' well; prices fair. Lemons: Promising , well.: Pears: Fairly heavy; picking I, in full swing. Tomatoes: Crops good; : y prices very good. Walnuts: Fair .crops '•. in some<parts. . . ;'■:■• : ; : Poveityj Bay .—Apples: Good; nuite ■' • 1, 8-tp txpectations. Lemons: Pro- ■■ T.miso.good crop: Oranges: Ratiier ,- ''light.: Peaches: Late peaches light: '. ripe, rot prevalent. Pears: Good '■~. average srop; some black spot, hut not ' ...'serious.' Tomatoes:-Very heavy crop; >-- very! free from- disease this season. ■ ;••. Walnuts": Average- crop; -.very prevalent. '■ '..- '■"'. '.Hawke's i Bay .—Apples: Good. Lem- '.' w ons: Promise well. Nectarines: Har'.'_vested. ; .Peaches: Lato varieties only ; . fair..' Pears.: Very fair. Tomatoes': Majority destroyed by disease. Wal- : nuts: Good. , '•' ' •■■' : ' Wanganui.—Apples:_ Heavy crop, marketing in full swing. -Lemons: : s Good average crops. Nectarines:. Medium, a lew of t'ne late varieties being placed. Peaches: Light, on the mars' kets, and realising.fair prices. Pears: ' Good; pear scab has,made its appearance in Kjino parts of the district. Strawberries: Good; a few Jate varicties are being placed on the market, and realising good prices. Tomatoes: l Light; tomato blight not so prevalent. Walnuts: Light; blajck spot - Palmerston North'.—Apples: Heavy; mid-early now coming in. Nectaj-ines: Light, mostly over. ■ Peaches: Late varieties, medic.n to heavy. Pears: Heavy, coming-in to market. x'omatoei>: Medium; blight bad in places. 'A wet month and very windy. * A number, of growers in Levin have lost a portion of their crop owing to heavy "* nmds. ,'MoBt of fruit coming in clean bo far. Codlin bad in small orchards. Nelson.—Apples: The condition of Ihib crop at present is generally'good; the Bample being bright and clean./ Lemons: The growing and proper curing of the lemon crop is receiving more attention. Nectarines and peaches: This small- crop is nearly harvested. Pears: This crop generally is finishing well. _ Plums (European): Some late crop is still being gathered; brown rot has been troublesome in some orchards. Raspberries: Harvesting' finished rather suddenly.about the beginning of the month. StrawfcerKes: A few late berries still being picked. Tomatoes: The season is closing early, late fruit will he scarce:- " -'i "'". -i Marlborough: Apples'.: Crop generally good.— Pears: Fait crop. Tomatoes: Good crop. Walnuts: Good crop. Canterbury anti-West Coast—Apples: Fair ■; to good.-• crop. ~ Nectannes: Medium crop'. Peaches: Medium crop. Pears: crop. Plums: Fair' to good crop. Plums (Japanese): Fair to good crop. Tomatoes: Good crop. Walnuts,: Medium crop". During ihe.pa'st month the weather/ has varied considerably; we have had some extremely hot days with a good deal of showery weather. Just the weather for fungoid diseases, which are spreading rather freely. Irisli blight of potatoes-, is'spreading very rapidly. Christchurch and Suburbs.—Apples: Medium to good. Nectarines: Fair. Peaches: Fair to good. Pears: Mβ- * tlmin. Plums: Heavy. Plums (Japanese) : Heavy. Tomatoes: Fair only. Malnuts: Good. Fruitgrowers are now busy harvesting their apples and pears, ™neties such as Ribston, Cox's, Mobbs Royal, and Williams, bon Chretien. Pear scab is very prevalent, and a large number of pears have to be disv rarded on 'account \of it. A very strong nor'-west wind on February 26 did some damage to many orchards, particularly unsheltered' ones. Outside tomatoes are affected with „ black rot. South Canterbury: Apples: Fair. 'Apricots: Practically finished. • Nectarines:. Very scarce. -. ; Peaches: Very tcarce. Pears: Very scarce. Plums': \ciy-scarce. Plums.(,7a panose) : Very Karce. •' Tomatoes: Hothouse, good'; outdoor, very slow-to mature. Walliuta: Good crop; clean. The weather has been unsettled throughout the month. Irish blight (phytopthora infebtans) is general amongst potatoes ,and outdoor tomatoes. Otago.—Apples: Early varieties being picked, others looking well. Apricots: Practically finished. Nectarines: Late varieties being picked.. Peaches: Late \arieties being picked. , Peflch rust imich in evidence this season. Pears: Being harvested. Codlin moth fairly had. Plums: Nearly finished. Tomntees: Fair' crops being marketed. ,A\.limits: Good crops; looking-well.'