THE FRUITGROWING INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 93, 14 January 1919, Page 8

THE FRUITGROWING INDUSTRY

WHY APPLES ARE DEAR A GROWER'S VIEWS The president of the Stoko Fruit-oron-ers. Association (Mr. A. Gilbert) writes:—"That fruit has been abnormally dear is clearly attributable to the fact that it has been abnormally scarce, and tho scarcity in directly duo to the epidemic and consequent shippine troubles, and in a lesser degree to a shortage in tho American crops this season.. Had the Niagara, Moana, and -Psiloona brought their expected ■ cargoes, and had the Makura i landed-her 14,000 cases of apples, and had the . Sydney and 1 South Sea Island steamers arrived with their cargoes or bananas, pines, oranges, etc., Wellington and'the other cities would have been amply supplied with an abundance of good fruit at reasonable prices. , 'IHeavy consignments of American apples Visually commence to arrive ' about tho middle of October, and the New Zealand growers make it a point to get their stocks in cool store unloaded by the end oftliat month, as prices then begin to recede whilst the. wastage increases. These, briefly, are the real facts of the case, and it is unfortunate that your reporter should have run across Mr. Agmcn Smith, who evidently at tho moment was sutfering from "'cold feet,' and in an attempt to give a reason for the high prices proceeded to hit the industry hip and thigh. The "new disease" to which lie refers is easily accounted for; the numerous coM snaps having caused the fruit to fall rather badly when about tho size of a small walnut. But this lias not worried tho experienced growers. In niost eases :t has just done the necessary amount of thinning, and thus saved tho growers considerable work. . ■ "With reference to the peaches, etc., losing their foliage The humid season has been favourable to thn green aphis, and it has been devouring the tender foliage. But this, in turn, is readily detected by the experienced grower, and by a prompt spraying with tobacco extract and soap tho aphis is quickly wiped! out. Mr. Smith also makes gloomy reference to black spot, and says 'every 'orchard has it.' Some orchards have it rather badly, but where growers have carried out, faithfully and well, tho instructions .of tho spray division of the Stoko Bruitgrowers' Association, they have been rewarded by clean , crops, some being absolutely free from spot. These growers ' will ronp what they havo sown. ■ . , ■ , "Tho brown rot is certainly showing up again, but where proper spraying has been done the disease is not sen''Mγ. ' Smith's reference to the fact of the Departmental officers being over here lecturing on • pomology was_ not quite correct." Pomology is the science of fruit culture, but Mr. Campbell addressed tho growers on packing, handling and marketing the crops, the only point on tho scientific! side touched being an appeal for tho formation of a. pomological board. ; "AVith reference to auctioneers methods, freezing companies' charges, and storage results: -These are matters for thoso concerned to run on tho best possible lines. The inferior fruit must bo kept off- the market, and when growers have succeeded in establishing a good name for their brand, the auctioneer will bo tho better ablo to command a good prico for their product. And if tho cool storage companies wish to be.successful and command tho support of tho growers, they must necessarily make their charges reasonable and also see that the fruit is stored under the most approved -methods, and turn it out from the stores in prime condition. - "In reference to Mr. Smith's' remarks re .'4O carts running to Port' and there being 'enough spraying pumps in Nelson to do the whole of the orchards in Now Zealand/- I might state that the railway runs through the Stoko orchards, -with two stations conveniently situated and all really commercial growers rail their fruit to Port, five miles, at a cost of slightly ovor one penny per case. There are certainly a good many spraying outfits in this district, and" if they were used more frequently wo would hear less about black spot and other pests, and it would then be found, perhaps, that there are hardly,, sufficient spray ma-, chines to do our extensive orchards as thoroughly , as they should he done. _ "Finally; fruitgrowing' is a scientific game, and being a comparatively new industry, commercially, in New Zealand, it lias attracted men from all trades and professions. It usually 'pays the shoemaker best to stick to his last," but there are many cases whero the 'shoemaker' has applied himself wholeheartedly to the science of fruitgrowing, and has made good. Under pre-war conditions, Stoke orchards, well" laid out, planted with the best varieties, and cultivated and cared for thoroughly, gave, ncre for acre and pound for pound'invested, infinitely better results than sbeepfarming, dairying or agricultural farming. Stoko has become famous for its Stunners, Jonathans, and Delicious apples, and its recular crops. And the progressive Stoko fruitgrowers' Association is prepared to give every one of its 70 members, provided they show the necessary interest, ves' complete and reliable data in how to select an orchard site, what varieties to plant, how to plant, cultivate, prune, spray, pick, and pack the fruit. In short, any city man who is prepared to work intelligently _ with liand and brain under the directions of our association can come across here, and, besides making fruitgrowing a commercial success, will find it to be a healthful, absorbing, highly interesting, scientific life in the sunshine where he studies, cares for, and wp.tches the "rowth and development of his family of from, say, 1000' to 2000 trees growing up around him."