CITRUS FRUIT INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 108, 31 January 1919, Page 8

CITRUS FRUIT INDUSTRY

PEOTECTION FKOM CANKER.'' The imiiortanco of iirolecting the citrus fruit industry of Xs'ew Zealand from the inroads of canker was stressed lie Wednesday's conference of the New /■ealancl Asoocmlion of Nurserymen. A report was, received front Ihe Diseases .'Cominittee stating that during'the' jmet year it had Iwen alive; to the danger _pJ,. tlie-intibduclioii of the disease, and-lrad urged the Department of Agriculture' Io lake eucli steps «3 were necessary to protect the growing industry. "We are ({lad to note that both the JJeparimeiitV orchards 'instructors and the fruitgrower.-! are continuing., their experiments with regard to ripe rot nnd other fungoid diseases," concluded the report. Two remits on the matter were placed before the conference. The ■ -Auckland Council suggested that the Government be asked to take effective steps to prevent tlio introduction of citrus uanker into New Zealand, and the Emergency Committee urged that steps be taken to protect the New Zealand citrus industry from the disease. Jfr. G. A. Green (Auckland) said (he question was a vei;y important one, He understood that the disease had appeared in Port Darwin, where it had been miles of (lie port. Severe regulations had every citrus tree destroyed within eight miles of the port. Severe regulations had been enforced in other States to prevent its introduction. The disense affected the leaves, hark, and fruit, and was of fungoid origin. .Mr. T. AV. Kirk, Director of tho Horticultural Division of tho Agriculture Department, said a proclamation had been prepared requiring ■ that where citrus frees .were imported they should ha accompanied by a certificate stating thnt the country from which they onme was free from citriis disense. ''. In reply to Afr. Ti. Nairn (Christchurch) Mr. Kirk said tho disease was not known in the Cook Islands or Fiji, The remits were enrried.