THE FRUIT CROP

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 166, 8 April 1919, Page 10

THE FRUIT CROP

'•;•'•■" CONDITIONS REVIEWED. ■■ 'Officers of the Horticulture Division of the Department of Agriculture report as follows regarding the condition , of the fruit crop at the cud of March:—. North Auckland.—Apples: Average crop, late, varieties only left. Lemons: Medium. Pears: Light crop, late varieties. Oranges (sweet): Good seltins; (preserving), average. Tomatoes: A good season finishing. Only the late varieties -of' applesv and pears now remain to l)e harvested, and generally., speaking these may be ' regarded as- hai'dly aft average crop. Tomatoes have had a good season. Good early autumn rains have fallen and citrus are looking well. Brown rot of stone fruits has been at a minimum'.during the past season, but black spot of pip 'fruits has claimed a rather high percentage. • Waitemata.—Apples: Oulv later'varie-ties-remain to l>e got oft"; '.above average. jLemons:' Average,' Lisbons. rattier, -lieht. Peaches: Golden Queen and Kerr's nearly'finished. Pears: Light crop late varieties. Tomatoes: A good season just now closing. , Oranges ! (sweet): Medium,-. (preserving): Medium. ..The stone fruit soa- ' Boni'.'is' .closing) very: "late, with. a. good crop of Golden Queen peach, and it may be regarded as a good season in so far. «3-crop and weather conditions are concerned. As expected Clairgeau and Deil are a light crop, and black spot is much in evidence where spraying has not been efficient. Yates apples are a heavy crop. n'salsO is Dougherty'in most localities. There is a somewhat severe infection from woolly , anhis this autumn. Good autumn rains have fallen with beneficial effectv-- ■ -..Auckland,.South.—Apples: Supplies, in excess of demand; prices easier. Pear?: Crop-i not quitelo heavy as anticipated; black snot too prevalent. Lemons: Prices ■.qood; Verrucosis still prevalent. Peaches:, 'Jjate;. varieties not showing such a percentage- of ■tbi'ownTrot. owing . "chiefly >to flie hot and dry weather experienced for some .weeks: "Tomatoes: Still, in fail supply; prices declining. Waikato.—Apples:' Good; a good deal of spot and moth. Lemons: Crops promising fair, will be rather late. Peaches: Only late-varieties remnining, not ripening ivell.-U''Pears: Yields rather light, 6pot,.pr.bvalenj;.,;..,Plums CEnglish. and Japanese):' Practically-; finished. EaspPractically (in,JsHß(L''.«"JTflmatoSs:;;;.e.r.o.]r.below antieipa"'Waluute-. ;v%'^igh , t:.-ffi--.f.: , .K':i:j''.-.v ; : .'• . P'6A'"erty.' Bay': rApples::,'. prop ■ lieing hnr-Te'stodSwplVaip.-.to- expscta^ions..-Leinons: Promise, 0f..-lteavy;/Ci'op.'''l'ear».: Good aver-.agoV'crop;.'-.lJlabk'''BpoJ;. infection .lighter th-iiii. iisual. ".T,oinatoes:/ ! fiood late .crop now- '■"being j harvested;-,, :; Crop 3iowvlight - .'owing''t6 spot; ■'...' '■ "'■.'.'-.":' • • Wanganuil-HApples: Lij?ht'crop'at Ma- j Cgaweka owing to late frosts arid squally cold weather.. In other parts of the district average" crop. Black spot and now- , dery rkildew prevalent. Lemons':.. Light ■OTp.:'Ne"ct«rines':. , ;Me<liuiD.crop. Peaches: Medium' cropi-jPrtictionlly failure this eeasbri'-in Mang-aweka ;, owing ' to. late fro'sts."'-.Pears': Heavy crop; black spot ■prevalent.'- Tomatoes: Fruit".-forming weti, biit rather slow in ripening; very late this Season. ' Hawke's Bay.—Apples: Sturmers light crop; other late varieties nearly up to the .average. Peaches: Late-, varieties light. Pears:;Fairlyr.good crbp'ahU now turning,out clean. Tomatoes: Light crop. VTalnuts;' Good, .".-', ...... Mnnawatu.—Apples: Good'.; average crop; lato varieties'looking well. Lem- . ons: Few grown; lemons doing well in Otaki district. Pears: Heavy', rcrop. Tomatoes: Light crops; very late; crops practically a failure this soason. Wellington.—Apples: Crop rather poor. Pears: Poor crop; black spot very bad. Tomatoes: A poor crop; very late; most piautsjliave made more wood than fruit; blight bad. Nolson.—Apples: The harvest is now in full swing; tho sample generally is bright and firm. Lemons:' Tree's receiving attontion are giving good '-returns. Peaches and plums: The good, prospects generally havo been realised; some lato crop remains to be gathered. , Strawberries; A small amount of Into crop has been gathered ' during the month. Tomatoes: The glnss-houses are cleaned up, And sown down to cover crop; the outside, plants have -done fairly well during a short season'; very little fruit remains to be marketed. Mariborough.—Apples: Owing ' to tho ' dry spell recently experienced apples are more forward thahWsual; Dunns are practically all gathered,'- Jonathans are coming in, mid a commencement made in picking Delicious; crops are as previously estimated. North-westers have been somewhat prevalent (unusual at this season) of late, but not much daniaue lias been done except in a very few orchards, where the shelter is backward. Ki'iiches: Season nearly over. Pears: A ' nice-.croi) being gathered. Tomatoes: Iu short supply. . Walnuts: Very heavy crop thinned by bactcriosis; one plantation here has an enormous crop quite free of spot; the owner attributes this tn careful cultivation, as one tree which 'is not cultivated has considerable blight. "Canterbury.—Apples: Severe galo during 'month lessened already very medium crop/..:'. Hardly. suHiciont quantity to Kitisfy local demand. Peaches: Late ■varieties coming on inarkot; only medium crop. '■''. -Pears: Galo alsti did considerable daiiingo to pears; only fair crop ro-

suit; in majority of eases free from black spot, but codiin moth prevalent, 'iomatoes: Outsido plants have suffered through wind, olso frost did considerable damage. Just about ayerago crop. Walnuts: i'aii'ly good; s]>ot in places. Ohristehurch and Suburbs.—Apples: Poor. Peaches: Late varieties fair, only Pears: Fair to good. Tomatoes: Outdoor fairly only. Walnuts: Mostly good. The fruitgrowers in this, district hive had another setback. On March Iβ n very strong nor'-wester did a great (leal of damage to the fruit orop. Some thousands of coses of pears anil apples were stripped from the trees. A large amount .of this fruit is useless, most of it being too immature for use. Bain is badly wanted, ns everything is very dry. ■ . • South Canterbury.—Excepting in the inland fruitgrowing areas of Waitaki and Waimoie the crops have been .destroyed by the gale on March IC. Oiago.—Apples: Around Roxburgh. and Cromwell the crop is a good one, but taken throughout Otago it will fall short about 20 per cent., the shortage being principally in the Clyde, Alexandra, and Earnsclcilgh localities. A little black spot is in evidence in the Teviot district, otherwise the fruit is of good quality. Apricots: Are now about finished; some fine crops have been .marketed, but the aggregate has been-a long way below the previous season. Nectarines: Are also Hearing the end; the crops of theso havo only .been fair. Peaches: Have turned out very well whole, an<l liito varieties -ara. still being marketed, but the crop has been well below the previous season. Pears: Only n fair crop, but very clean. Plums: Very few left; taken all round the crop of this fruit has been very good. Tomatoes: The crop this season lias been very-dis-appointing • owing to the lato reason, heavy rains in January, and blight; and Hie cold season has.set in early, snow having fallen on March 25,. which will probably prevent further ripening of the crop. Southland.—Apple?: Light crop; black spot very prevalent. Pears: Light to medium i black spot very prevalent. Plums: Light crop; brown rot noticeable. Plums (Japanese): v Liidit crop. Basp'jerriesi .Season over. Tomatoes (indoors): Good crops; bliglit slight; lute ripening..