THE FRUIT CROP

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 87, 7 January 1919, Page 10

THE FRUIT CROP

CONDITIONS REVIEWER Officers of the Horticulture Division of -~ the Department of.'. Agriculture report i as follows regarding 'the condition ot ■'j the fruft crop at the end of December. ■North, Auckland.—Apples: Heavy to .'medium. Lemons: Good average set. 'Nectarinesflight. Peaohes: Medium to ' heavy.-some varieties falling rather badly.: Pears: Medium; mid-season light. Plums: Heavy. Plums .(Japanese): Above average: Strawberries: Very good quality, fruit being harvested from an average crop. "Tomatoes: Making good progress. Oranges (sweet): Good set; - Poorman, heavy sotting. [Changeable weather-hascontinued- throughout the month; heavy showers' followed by strong sunshine setting-up very humid conditions. Brown' rot is 6howmg badly in some localities on'stono fnirjs. loung . trees aro mating under favourable condi- ' tions excellent' growth. Heports from all localities Indicate considerable tailing off of peaches and pears. Orchard work is generally well' in hand. ; "."'!''" Waitemata..~Apples: Many-. varieties : falling--'badlyTearly varieties -wilF be light; others, medium to heavy. Lemons:' Trees-making good'recovery and blossoming and setting well, all _ trees ■making fair but slow recovery. Nectarines: Medium. Peaches: Heavy set; ■- several' varieties falling badly following stoning. ; Pears: Early and late varieties'lighV to medium; mid-season, medium.. 'Plums':; Heavy.. Plums '(Japan'es'e): Heavy: • Strawberries: Good supply of■ first-class:fruit being maintained; seaeon' will .'be lengthened• by, goad .rains. Tomatoes: -Makingvvery /'good- progress* Oratfges:-Sweet.- 'Heavy sot St. Michael; Poorinan,-' very,'heavy sotting.- .-Stone fruits, which were stoning very satisfactorily'havo in many instances fallen badly. .. :Tho same..remarks apply also to maijy.. .varieties of Upplee mid pears, which 1 fell hadly during the earlier part of the .month. However, generally speaking, with the 'exception of ; pears, the •'■brq'ps'irc abcratuip to average. Brown Tot.'ishiuch- in evidence of .some varie. ties of peaches, and heavy; losses aro. sustained already, by- some'.-growers.-.Straw'-; berries are lasting well, and should'hang 'out over a lori"jeas6nif' good rainssare. experienced.;'.' Weather, conditions-.have . been wery • humid; and very unseasonable,' with! strong north-east -and'south-west winds. v :Orchard work has been brought well -up. to'.date during the" last ■ two weeks. ' '••■ '.' South.—Apples and Pears: Good average crop. Stone fruits generally icarrying fair crops,; and so far practically free from brown, rot. Strawberries: Now in full supply,.with good prices ruling. Tomatoes (outdoor):. Later than usual,.somo now being marketed. ■... Potatoes:: Good average crop, very small.supplies. '■. .' " -■■;.'::. .' Waikato.—Apples: Good in iilbstplaces. Apricots: Poor. 'Cherries: Fair-crop; now being ' gathered!. •, Gooseberries: Picking almost 'finished. Lemons: Scarc.extrees_promi3ing fairly well. Nectarines! "Give fair promise. Peaches: M'air.",. Pears: Havo thinned out very much..,-.,^Plum's:, Christmas, .plumsj.being. gatneX^a:'j..';.?WmV.^ilapaneseV;!'4> : i6obd^; '• iaV full ' Tomatoes CPK : mising:,.verjv-~iy'eil." " "% ■<■ ... Poverty,";Ba'y>-Ap'plesV-Gpotl averagecrop;, Baiiaraf s promise';;';-a; very heavy' • Medium';, crop of 'first- . class beiug harvested. . Goose-' berries:' Crop proved;a-toed one, ivhich. met'with a ready salo iitisiightlyadvanc-'. ed';prices. Lemons: Promise of a very Boba!icrop/'/' l prove -'b' iightrcrop.'lchi'efiy , due/.td ; the depreda-, tions "of leaf curl. Peaches: Medium a 'smaller: crop.', Plum's: Average c'rbpV; '■: Plums (Japanese):; ;Heavy"'droyVexcept-.,"Sntsumß*,"'which; is; vory.'shy.. ■ ■--. Strawberries V,".; Good' crop. of ■ berries now, being.-: harvested.....Tomatoes ;(outdqpr):;Goc)d'. average "crop; first , frjiitg^noW'ibeiDg.'uidrketed,.V Plants; remarkablyj'fr'eeyrbm.i'disease.'■' Walnuts: ..'rSawke's .'Bay;-rApples: Sturmers'light.' . Dougherty ,-;.an'-average'-'.crop. Many of- - thU\other-leading.'Varieties below, the' avetage.;'.'v"Apricots,::. Harvesting good about over; ex-j ' Gooseberries:' ■ NowSharyestingf.-'the. later'-varieties;: 6ample' jScelltuit'and prices gobd.'-r;; Lem- : oiyv'JN6he':-.ayjulable, but showing good ;proiriißei:VrfrrNectariiies: Light .crop. crop; season, late; ; prices good 'fpi"'.Sneeds, Mayower,.;etc. l ;/Pears.:, . a very .fair- crop. Plums:' ;.. Ajgoodj,average crop, arid. possibly heav-f ie'rV. thanAla'st year. Plums (Japanese): Poor C.crop. . Burbauki; much below the: -average.'jy Easpberriesvhave. not /broken light as : a resiilt.r ;NStraw,befrfesKPirst crop'!harvest«d.< ; ' Tomatoes: houses this year—out-door-crop promising well, but more backward than usual. Walnuts: Good, Wanganui.—Apples: Good average crop. ; Apricots: Medium'- crop. Cherries:;Good,crdp.f:,Gooseberries: Heavy-crop, all fruit , harvested. Lemons: Light crop; late. : fr'dsta"and heavy winds,-, caused considerable damage. Nectarines: Medium crop. Peaches: Medium crop: Pears: Heavy crops'; black spot prevalent. Plums: .Medium to light. IJlums (Japanese): Heavy crop. Strawberries: Medium crop; j ' season too wet. Walnuts-. Medium, to ■light crop. jtfanawatu . and ; Wairnrapa.—Apples: promise of heavy crop. Apricots: Light. -Cherries: Light crop. Gooseberries: Poor crop. Nectarines: Light crop. Peaches.: Light. Pears: Medium to light crop. Plums: Heavy; early varieties appearing :'dri-;'malket. Tomatoes: Very late this season. All. fruiU are; la'to; this 'season,' consequently' prices are running high; Growers of cherries in the Manawatu are unable to supply demand. Very little potato blight. Pungns diseases on other fruit is in evidence.'-' '" Nelson.—Apples-.- A moderato crop, maturing under fair conditions. Apricots: Promise a good grop. Cherries: The crop is being gathered under good conditions.' Gooseberries: Good'crops are now being picked. Jjemons: Trees receiving attention are doing well. Nectarines and Peaches: There has been some burning with'summer sprays; a fair'crop-', is maturing. Pears: Crop moderate, in fair condition. Plums. .(European and Jap-; -. nii'ese): Crops variable, but generally good! v Raspberries':' Prospects '.'somewhat by dry, hot weather. Strawberries: The dry.vhot weather has seriously checked the crop. Tomatoes: Tho plants iare looking well, but are lato. Marlborough.—Apples: Woolly aphis and' 'mildew somewhat prevalent this season owing to inclement weather. Crops generally aro good. A few small orchards in one portion of the district havo suffered'a drop,'but not sufficient so far to "affect the general average for the district. Apricots:' Poor: Cherries: Good; Gooseberries: Good. Nectarines: Fairly food. Peaches: Fairly good. Pears: 'airly; good.-Plums: Fairly good, plums (Japanese) irFairly good. CaritorbuJy.-n-A pples: Poor . - crop in majority of districts owing,. to severe frost. "Apricots: Good in most places; looking well. Cherries: Fairly good,'ex.; cept : where taken by.frost. - Gooseberries: Good. Nectarines and Peaches: Average, arid looking well. -Pears: Very patchy; better, in soma districts than at fijrst anticipated, but on whole.small crop owing to-frost. Plums (Japanese): Fairly good.. Strawberries: JJnod.' .Tomatoes: "Very 'good; should no disease intervene hea% .crbp-'rputside.'-anticipated. .■»•.'.■>•': Christchurch' ,arid \ : Suburbs— Apples: Poor. Apricots: Good/ Cherries: Good. Gooseberries:. Good. •.• Nectarines: Good. Peaches:" Good. Pears: Fair. Plumb; Fair. 'Plums '(Japanese)-.- Fair. ' Kasp^

berries: Fair. Strawberries: Good. Toma-. toes: Very good. The apple crop will be very light; in fact, many orchards will harvest practically nothing. The pear crop will' mostly be light, though some t . varieties aro promising fair. Plums, d peacWs, nnd nectarines outside the frost nrea are good. Hothouse tomatoes mo - coming on wpll, and outdoor ones are • making good headway. South Canterbury.—Apples: Lookiug 1- well except inAshburton. district, whero J, the crop was lost.through frost. Apricots: Patchy; some gooiL Bets,'but poor as a general rule. Glieiiies: Light. Goose- ;. berries: Very heavy. Nectarines: Very light.' Peaches: Light. Poars: Light. Plums: Poor. Plums (Japanese): Poor. Raspberries: Good promise. Strawberries: Fair. Tomatoes: - Looking well. The weather has been changeable throughout , the month, and until the middle was very wet and cold. Latterly the days have been hot and the dews at night intensely heavy. Much black spot in evidence. . Otago;—Apples: Fair to good crop. Hail , has marked the fruit in somo localities, j f but cannot at present specify to what j t extent. Apricots: Medium crop; season ! f later than usual. Gooseberries: Better j crops being marketed than anticipated, j 3 Nectarines: Medium crop. Peaches: I . Medium crop. Pears: Medium crop, j > Plunis: Medium crop. Plums (Japanese): . Medium crop. Raspberries: Promising . fair crop. Later than usual. Straw- : berries: Better, this month; fair crops I .being picked. Tomatoos: Coming away i slowlv; weather very' erratic. ' . I Southland.—Apples: Fair crops; dam- ; aged by hail.; Black spot very bad on i al crops, due, no doubt, to the wet : season'. , Orchardists unable to carry, out - 'fsprayings in pink stage on r account of '■ bad- weather and later' epidemic. Goosei berries: Heavy crops. Pears: Poor crop, damaged by hail. Pear mitb prevalent. . Plums: Light crop. Plums (Japanese): . Nil.- Easpberries: Heavy, crops, late 1 . ripening.- Tomatoes: All crops under , glass setting well. Prospects of heavy ' ( crop. -'■-■■■ : ' ' ' - • ■' j