FRUIT INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 246, 11 July 1919, Page 10

FRUIT INDUSTRY

!■■ ' . [ PROSPECTS AT END OF JUNE !;. Officers of the Horticulture Division of !V' the, Department of Agriculture report as i follows regarding the ; condition of the I. fruit crop at the end of June, 1919:— j VjN'orth Auckland.—Apples: Heavy stocks } held in stores. Lemons: Poor; fair au- ! tumn setting. Oranges: (Sweet)'medium, ;, but very small; (preserving), average. j Strawberries: Plantings 'comr/ieted., To- ! matoes: House stuff making satisfactory j progress.. Oranges all round are on the j Email side, owing* to lack of necessary

' rains during late summer. Glasshouse i .tomatoes aro doing very well. Tho prmi- ! ing .'of peaches and nectarines is well in There will be very little plan 1 ting i.; done in -this district-this season.

j. Waitem'ata — Applies: Considerable [■ stocks held in cool stores. Lemons: ' h Short, fair promise catch crop. Oranges: ;'--(Street), medium; (preserving), medium.' I Pears: Stored. Strawberries: Plantings ! almost completed. There are heavier stocks of apples and pears held in cool V store this season than formerly. Straw r ! 'berry plantings are about completed, \, very favourable weather being experienced almost throughout. The pruning of ' 6tone iruits is under way.' Eden County.—Apples: Stored. Lemons: Cold weather affecting all trees, : causing indifferent settling. Oranges: (Sweet) average,/but small; (preserving) medium. Strawberries: Plantings cornDieted.. .Owing to the warm weather hav- ! ■ ing continued practically to tho end of j:. .June,--strawberry plants have gone in ;: well 'and'will have had opportunity of !■'.'. making early rooting in the warm I; soil. . Tomatoes:. Houses forward. [.''Citrus are disappointing ail round j;. owing to cold weather following on dry j - spell. ■ ' ' . ; [-• :■ City and Suburbs—Lemons: j';; Blossom 'falling badly; small crop ma- (' turing. Oranges: An average crop all ;'....round)' of small stuff. Strawberries: • Plantings nearly completed. Plants com- :. ing to hand slowly. A cold snell is be- ! ing'experienced, which'has. affected citj tus materially. Recent, rains have made ! n marked 'difference to market sardens, j which are at present showing great iniL. prbvement. j Auckland £oath.—Late apples and j Jiears" still being marketed in fair quani titles at. increasing prices. Growers now ; busy pruning and generally cleaning their orchards. Tho weather this month | has been favourable for nllsvinter operations." Stone.ffuits showing good promise i for heavy crop next season. Lemons set- ;-.. ting fair crop. . ■ _ . : i-^ , .' , vWaikato.;-:AU winter work in the varii oiiS'-oTchards is now v in full swing, prun- [ ing more particularly. Citrus fruits aro j looking well. Apples are commanding food prices, Delicious making up to 16s. 'lantmg: of strawberries is ' now being i. carried out. ■ . . %

!■• Bay.—All fruits harvested exj cept • citrus,' which ' are below average s \ crop and size, but good quality. The ! dry autumn has caused most of the aui . tumn set fruit to fall. New strawberry | , pla'htaTioris have made little progress, .a :■ great; number of plants having dried out. 1 • Wanganui.—Apples: All fruit harve'stl ~ed; spraying and pruning in full swing. | Peaches-and nectarines: Pruning in full ■ I swing."'" I : Havrke's ■■ Bay— All crops harvested. j Seasonable work well advanced | . throughout the district. r- 'Ha'naivatu.—Apples: All harvested. Ap- ' .', pic' scab "stills in evidence. Have not ', ' noticed cool 6tore fruit on market to ]'■■ date.'" Lemons: Few grown. Pears: All ; . h'an'est'ed. ' ;' . •.. Wellington-.—Pruning of stone fruits is |.'. now well in hand, Cultural operations | have been considerably hampered by the severe weather experienced during the > month.' Onlyvcool stored fruit, is now , - coming forward, and though this i* hdI low- quality, good prices aro being realr j - ised., ' j ■ , .Nelson.— During the past month steady ! . rains have fallen with intervals of bright cold weather, conditions which suit the .- orchards:admirably. The trees are now : being • pruned in readiness for another i ' season. ■ The tomato growers now have i. ''another crop of plants under way, the f se'edling's being just through the ground. Motueka —Winter pruning operations j are rio'w- well- in hand. Wintry weather conditions prevail. The co-operative packing sheds have closed down for the sea- '■:■ son,'all the fruit remaining Irovihg been !■' cool stored. The evaporating factories ! have also closed down for the season with , • one exception, no, more fruit coming forward for this purpose. Jlarlborpugh.—The crops being all harvested growers are busy pruning, and there is every indication that this season's'orchard work will bo well in hand by the commencement of spring. Severe frosts and beautiful days have been, almost continuous during the last two months. A nice rain, however, fell last Canterbury.—All fruit harvested and disposed of except jyhero cool stored. Owing to small crop this season, only about IOMO cases in cool store. Belying on outside districts to supply fruit for local markets. During past few weeks weather has been more like spring than winter and buds on stone fruits have swollen considerably. May result m much bud dropping during spring. All varieties ,of fruit are looking well for next City and Suburbs.-Tho ' past month has been very dry and warm, causing fruit-buds, such as peaches, to commence plumping up. The cod weather that is bound to come -will cause a check, and a considerable amount of ' bud dropping may be expected Pruning operations are vol. stalled and should be pushed forward m readiness for roravin-. A few hothouse tomato grow-;-e™o their plants ready for se in* out. though, the majority are'just setting th Soutf'Canlerbury.-Fine weather prevailed until the third week, and much :.■ ™d work was put in in the orchards ' Heavy rain and sleet fell on June,23 and k and on .Turie 25 a very hard frost was experienced. The commercial oTlmrds in this district are lonkm- much '' ceaner tlmn last year, especially the contM of red mite being very pronounced. Ota»o.-Ml fruits are now harvested, and lowers are busy with pruning ope?atio,s The weather has been wet and cold Showers and heavy frosts are now being experienced.