THE FRUIT CROP

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 142, 11 March 1919, Page 8

THE FRUIT CROP

■', CONDITIONS REVIEWED. " Officers of tho Hortisulturo Division of the Department of Agriculture report as follows regarding.the condition of the fruit crop at-the end of February :~ •■ '■■■ North Auckland.—Apples: Good average. Lemons• Medium tsttting. Peaches-. Light crop; lato varieties.only.now left. Pears; Light to medium. Plums: (English), heavy. Oranges: Sweet, above average; preserving, average Tomatoes: Heavy, crop. Nectarines "are done, and peaches and plums are nearly finished. Bon Chretien pear*, are. in full supply, black'spot being rather much in evidence. Waitemata —Apples: Medium crop of midseason—heavy crop late varieties. Lemons:' Average crop. Nectarines: Finished.. Peaches: Heavy'crop of midseason, .just ,' finished—later .':■ varieties light, .Pears:'Mediunv.tQ. light, 'Plums: heavy, crop. Tomatoes : Very -good crop.,- Oranges: Sweet, medium; 'preserving, above '.average.' A very heavy crop'cf English .plums' is just finished.' Nectarines arc all gone, and the midseason peaches are done. A north-east wind, accompanied by a misty rain an'dvory humid atmospheric, condion tho 13tli rnd Hth, brought on a heavy attack of brown rot on stone fruits. Tho month, however, has been a dry one, and a good rain would be very welcome at this juncture. Black spot is much in evidence both on pears and apples. Woolly aphis is exceptionally bad on season's growth, especially on young tree 3. , - Auckland South.—Apples: Heavy crop. Apricots: All finished, heavy crops— some brown rot on later varieties. Peaches and Plums: Good crops, but markets disorganised owing to rot so often appearing after being marketed. Lemons: Looking well,-blooming freely. Tomatoes: In full Mipply; heavy crops generally. Waiknto.-Apples: Crops, are much bet-

ter than anticipated, more especia»y in the East Coast districts. Apricots: Finished. Lemons: These aro promising for fairly good crops.- Nectarines: Crop in the Const better than in tho Waikato. Peaches: Though patchy in the Waikato, have turned out very well on East Coast-good fain pies. Pears: Very patchy; only few., good crops, mostly light/much black spot. Plums: Have licen in heavy supply from few localities: Burbnnks were very heavy and little demand. Strawberries: Finished. Tomatoes: Have improved with the warm weather, but very late. Walnuts: These are much more free from disease than usual. Poverty Bay.—Apples: Medium heavy crop of well-coloured fruits, good quality. Lemons: Promise of heavy crop. Peaches: Medium crop; very little brown rot in orchards; some , lines marketed undoubtedly infected from old eases. Pears: Medium heavy crop. Plums: Little now remains. Plums (Japanese): Season finished. Tomatoes: Good crops now being harvested; caterpillar more prevalent than usual. AValnuU: Good average crop. Wnnganni—Apples: Average c,rop; black spot prevalent, also powdery mildew. Apricots: Medium crop; fruit gathered. Lemons: Light crop.owing to late frosts, and fruit thinned out heavily during epidemic. Nectarines: Me-, diura crop. Pears: Heavy crop; blackspot prevalent. / Strawberries: Medium crop. Second crop spoiled considerably owing lo wet weather. Tomatoes: Fruit setting well on outdoor varieties; a small percentage of blight showing. Walnuts: Medium to light crop. Manawatn—Apples:—Very good averago 'crops; late keep'ara looking healthy. Apricots; Light crop; prices ' good. Peaches: Light crop: brown rot bad. Pears: Heavy crop ; s have noticed ,little 6cale. Plums: Medium crop; brown rot bad. Plums (Japanese): Heavy crop; nearly over; brown rot bad. Tomatoes: Light wops; very Into. ''Wellington.—Apples: Patchy. Cherries: Harvested. Gooseberries: Harvested. Nectarines: Fair to medium crop. Peaches: Fair crop. Poars Very uotohy. Plums: A fair crop. Plums (Japanese): Mostly harvested; have been very fair. Tomatoes: Poor; very late; Irish blight showing' up badly. Nelson.—Apples: Worcester Pearmains nro about all gathered; Scarlet Pear-1 mains and Cox's orange pippin are now. being picked; prospects generally are well.maintained. Apricots: The harvesting of this crop is about completed. Lemons: Excellent crop 3 are maturing. Nectarines and Peaches: Goldmine nee-, toriues and Elberta • peaches aro now being gathered; the crop generally is above the'average of tho last fow years. Pears: A moderate crop is maturing; Williams Bon Chretien is now; being gathered. Plums .(European and Japanese): Japanese varieties are mostly over; giant 'prune, prune d'Agen, and many European plums are gathered; Monarch plum is now about ready for picking. Raspberries: Recent rains have helped this crop considerably. Strawberries: Steady showers have started the beds, cropping again. Tomatoes: Warm weather has hastened the ripening of the outdoor crop. Marlborough.—Apples: Generally a good crop; nothing further to report than last month. Nectarines and peaches: Crop considerably thinned by trost and the crops are' late ripening; quality and size 'excellent. ■ Pears: Fair average crop; quality good. Plums: Fair crop, but lata, ripening. Plums (Japanese): ,Fair orop. Walnuts: Very heavy crop, greatly thinned by "6pot. Canterbury.—Apples: Small. l Later varieties better than at first estimated in 6ome districts. Very little fungus disease, but plenty of codlin moth in evidence. Apricots: Majority.of crop harvested. On the whole clean and good, except Banks Peninsula, where scab was in evidence. Nectarines: A good marketable (and paynblo crop where attended to. Peaches: Majority of peaches smaller than usual, especially Royal George. Early peaches very good and clean; later varieties not quite so good. Peal's: Very fair where not' damaged by frost. Midseason varieties better than late varieties. On tho whole clean. Plums: Average'crop. Japanese heavy. Tomatoes: Very, good, clean. Hot-house very satisfactory. Nearly all harvested.' Just starting to pick ontsido. • Later than' usual. Good .crop. Walnuts: Fairly good. Affected with blaok spot in places. Otago.—Apples: Cromwoll and .Clyde Gorge, very good clean crop. Alexandra, Clyde, and Earnscleugh, very light with a few exceptions where frost was not severe. Apricots: Cromwell and Clyde Gorge good. Alexandra, Clyde, and Earnscleugh very light. Nectarines: Cromwell and Clyde, medium. Other places light. Peaches: Cromwell and Clyde Gorge good, other places light. Pears: Cromwell medium, others light clean crop. Plums: Cromwell and Clyde .Gorge good, other places light. Plums (Japanese): / Cromwell and ' Clyde Gorge good, other places light. Tomatoes: Promising a poor crop in most places and very. late. If nn early; winter sets in, many will not ripen. Late blight bad. Heavy rains end of January caused Elants to develop hollow stem. Walnuts: liflht all round...

Southland.-rAjiples: Light crops, early varieties now bring gathered. Most crops disfigured by hail and 'scab. Gooseberries: Heavy crops, nil fruit gathered. Pears: Light to medium, on the whole poor orops. Pear mite still prevalent. Plums: Light crops, late ripening. Rasp-' berries: Heavy 'crops, all fruit gathered. Borer very destructive. Strawberries: Medium crops, season now over. Toma-' tobs: Heavy .crops indoors, no disease. Local supplies meeting all demands.