THE FRUIT CROP

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 191, 8 May 1919, Page 10

THE FRUIT CROP

' MEICULTUEAL DEPARTMENT'S ,: ..■■: : ~.-.. -REVIEW.- ,:;....-,. i Officers of the Horticultural - Division .(. of the Department of Agriculture-xeport as follows regarding the condition of the. fruit crop-at the end of April:—. ;-'•'. North Aucklah'dl'-Apples:; The - last'of - the apples are now oft, and a large proportion 1 of-these'a'fe'iii the stores': 'Lemons: Light to medium. Pears: "All later varieties harvested; chiefly in the stores. Oranges: Preserving, average; sweet, very fair setting. . Tomatoes: Finished. Apples arid pears are now all off, and considerable quantity placed in • tool .storage, Owing; to., last winter's heavy -frost -there- are '-practically .no 'April lemons. A heavy infection from v-'oolly aphis! is noticeable ;in most localities. -■■■•• ....

Waitomata.-Applos: Yate's, Dougherty's, and Etowah's now'being got off; crops above average. , Lemons: Very. fair set. •• Nectarines and peaches: Finished. Pears: Practically all harvested. Oranges: Preserving, medium; sweet,. medium. Strawbe/ries: Preparations for new plantings uiider way.' Tomatoes: Finished The pip fruit season is", closing -' with- 1 the.""' harvesting' of % later, varieties'-'of apples and pears. There are. practically no. autumn',lemons; but thero is a very fair., setting of; spring-', fruit. Strawberry-growers ■ are. engaged in the preparation of sites for -pew beds. .Woolly aphis is rather bad. '-; '. • Eden County.—Apples: All harvested, lomohs: Badly -.affect i& by:last.season's frost; no autumn fruit. Pears:' Finished. Strawberries: Sites for new beds under preparation. Tonintoes: Finished. Granges: Sweet, good; preserving, average. The season has.practically finished Lemons and oranges have a good average setting. Woolly apuhis and black spot are much in evidence. The cabImge moth has been giving some-trouble to growers this season. Auckland City and Suburbs.— Apples: Finished. Lemons: Setting very fair all round. Pears:• Last fruits being taken off; mostly good\ quality. Oranges: Sweet, good setting; preserving, fair. Tomatoes; Just finishing; a. very good season. A few lemons are coming in from the suburban areas, but are of very poor quality generally. Pip fruits.'have heen a good crop. • The weather conditions remain remarkably favourable, hut rain would-he welcome. _. ■ Anckland South.— Fruit season practically finished.-. ,Lato apples and pears 'now.marketed; prices improving. -Trees generally 'ma,d.o- oxha good-growth.- A gflpuj'.iseiujon for crop with -'the. ■exception of"!jiears, with fair. prices "ruling for all friiits, except mid-season peaches; those ruled low through fear of-brown rot. Stone fruits showing good- strong buds for next season. Waikato. I —Applctu-Qnlylato varieties regain to be gathered. Tomatoes: About

finished; early frosts cut. them. Walnuts: Very light crops being gathered. Frosts 'are having a marked effect upon all foliage, causing it to fall earlier than ' usual. Indications point to an earlv winter. All fruit trees will benefit by it. Stone fruits havo developed an abundance of well-filled fruit buds, and I look exceedingly well. Poverty Bay.—Apples: Littlo now remains except late varioties of apple's and pears, whion aro proving quite up to expectations. Dougherty is. rather undersized except where heavy thinning has been practised; Lemons show well for a crop quite up to the average. A light average crop of walnuts has been harvested.

'Wanganui.—Apples: Average crop; harvesting in full swing; black spot and powdery mildew very prevalent; fair percentage of codlin moth, owing 1 to weather being unsuitable for spraying, Lemons: Light crop; verrucosis not: as prevalent ting season as last. Pears: Heavy crop; black spot prevalent; practically all harvested.

Hawkc's Bay—Picking of Stunners is now in full swing; the district crop is light, but good crops are being 'harvested from orchards which escaped frosts, at setting period; l Doughertys are on a par with Stunners regarding crop,'but haye excellent colouring and rather a. larger size than usual. Pears havo been picked, representing a light average crop, aiid only late varieties now' remain of light crop. Frost has affected the tender foliage of citrus and guava and caused stone fruit foliago to fall. Nelson.—Apples: The harvesting of the later -varieties is now being completed; the sample is particularly good and bright. Pears: Lato varieties are now being gathered;'the quality is good, but the* supply short. Peaches and Plums: These crops aro now about' finished. .Marlborough. — Apples-: Practically all crops have now been harvested with tho exception of the latest varieties,,, and growers are now in the midst o'f picking Stunners. Pears.- Nearly nil picked. Tomatoes: Season nearly over. Walnuts: Now jboiiig - harvested;, the market has opened with good prices. Motueka.—Apples: Good crops of most varieties,. Delicious light; black spot very prevalent. Lemons: looking well. Peal's: Good crops. -Strawberries: Still picking second crop. Tomatoes: Practically over. Walnuts: Fair crop. The weather has been very dry 6inee the .beginning of tho year and still continues bo.. A severe hailstorm struck a few orchards at Tasman during a short, fjharp thunderstorm and did considerable damage to 'the fruit. It was purely local and confined to an area covering four or fivo orchards only. The loss may be estimated at about one thousand cases. This fruit will be easily absorbed by the fac-, tories. ''•'>'.

- Canterbury.—Apples: Late varieties now coming on market; fairly olean; only small crop. Pears: Good deal-of black spot in late- varieties; moth has done considerable damage. Christchurch and Suburbs.— Apples:' Only' late Varieties now left, and these are now being harvested and the majority of it cool-stored. Pears: Harvesting in full swing; black;spot fairly prevalent; like the apple?, most of the late pears are being cool-storad."

South Canterbury.-—ln tho districts of Waitaki and Waimate, which escaped destruction by the hail and -gales,., the. apple crop is plentiful and of first-class order. Weather conditions have bqen normal throughout the..month," frosty nights and warm days being general. .., .

. -ptago.—Apples: Only tho late .varieties now remain-to be picked; Starmeiy ltymer, and Scarlet Nonpareil are, a.'very; fair, crop and, on the whole, very olean. Apricots:? Now finished. Nectarines: A' few Goldmine still coming to market,, biit. not very good,, owing to .lateness of,! the season. Peaches: Very fair crop of Palmerston now- about finished,'and in some orchards badly affected with' rust; Solways, very Into and doubtful if they will ripen sufficiently, owing" to cold '■weather. Pears: Now nearly all gathered; fair crop ami clean. Plum?: Few Coe-'s-late red still picking, others finished. Strawberries: A good' many new plants being set out. Tomatoes: Crop turned out very 'poorly; now'about finislied,: frosts having set in.' ■ ■.'.'