THE FRUIT CROP

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 41, 12 November 1919, Page 10

THE FRUIT CROP

REVIEW OF THE PROSPECTS. Officors of the Horticulture Division of the Department of Agriculture report us follows regarding the condition of the fruit crop at tho end of October — North Auckland.-Apples: Generally a heavy blossoming and good setting. Lemons;. Average set. Nectarines and peaches: Settiuii ■ above average. Pears: Average promised. Plums (Japanese): Heavy set. Strawberries: Satisfactory promise good crops. Tomatoes: Forward. Work is fairly well in hand, but the soil is much in need of moisture. Heavy blossoming Poorman oranges. Waitemata.—Apples: Cool store stocks low. Heavy blossoming and good set. Lemons: Strong growth; lair setting. Nectarines, peaches, pears, and plums: Very heavy setting so iar. Strawberries: Good plants obtained; rain required. Tomatoes: ""Good progress. A heavy blossoming lias been followed by a good setting all round. Rain is needed, f Eden County.—Apples: Good setting.. Gooseberries: Fair. Lemons: Setting rather \ on light side. Nectarines: Above average.] Peaciies: Abovo average. Pears: Average, i Plums! (Japanese): Good. Strawberries < i Heavy crops promised if sufficient rains.! .Stono fruits are a heavy set all round. Strawberries will be on tho heavy side | if rain is experienced early. . | Auckland City mid Suburbs.—Apples: Average. Lemons: Very fair setting. Nectarines and peaches: Heavy. Pears: Medium.. Plums (Japanese): Average. Tomatoes: Well lorward. Suburban gardens are generally speaking looking Temarkably we'll at this juncture. Tomatoes plants arc especially good for the season. Aucklaud South'.—AVeather conditions toe dry with high winds, but all varieties showing good prospects. Peach curl very much in evidence in small orchards. Potatoes Attacked slightly with Irish blight' at Piikekoho. Tomatoes doing well; ' Strawberries being marketed, but uoukl biTmuch benefited by'moro rain. Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay.— Apples: Very heavy bloom general. Apricots: "Well up to average. Cherries: Promise we 11... Gooseberries: Medium to heavy .crop. Lemons: N T o\v making vigorous growth and good show of bloom. Nectarines and peaches: • Medium to heavy crop.' Pears: Setting well for heavy crop. . Plums: Have bloomed heavy. Plums (Japanese): Heavy crops reduced considerably by bladder plums. Itaspberries and Loganberries: Promise velL . Strawberries: Average. Tomatoes: Planting'up to average. Wangauui.—Apples: Fruit setting well. Powdery mildew very prevalent, especially on Northern Spy. Apricots: Light crop.... setting. Cherries: Good crops. Gooseberries:. Good crops. Lemons: Medium crop. Nectarines and peaches: Good average crops setting; silver blight end leaf curl very prevalent. Pears. Heavy crops setting. Black spot has made its appearance in some parts of the district. Plums: Average crops. Plums (Japanese): Fruit setting well; bladder or pocket plums very prevalent. Mannwatu. and Wairnrapa — Apples: Most-varieties now set; promise of heavy crop. Apricots: Bloom now gone; promise of .good, average crop. Cherries: Fruit now set; heavy crops. Goosi.berries: Heavy crops;'fruit now appearing on market. Lemons: Few grown. Nectarines and peaches: Fruit now set; pood average . crop. Pears: Most varieties now set; promise of heavy crop. Pliims: Bloom now gone; Tight setting. Plums (Japanese): Fruit now set; promise of heavy crops. Raspberries: Few grown. Spraying operations were badly interfered with during the first three weeks of October, owing to wet, boisterous weather. Wellington.—Tho weather conditions have been favourable throughout the month for pollination of the blossams, and if present indications may be taken ns a reliable guide there aro prospects of a good crop of pip fruits. Stone fruits have alreauy set well, and promise a verv fair crop. Gooseberries also are likely-to" bear fairly well, though somewhat below the average. Nelson.—Apples: The trees have set their fruit, and promise a good average crop. Apricots: A fair crop hns ( set, but considerable short of the heavy crop of las)-, season. Cherries: Tl>9 trees are blossomim exceptionally well. Gooseberries: The bushes have set well; good crops should be gathered where proper nttention is given. Lemons: Tho frees nre iust coming well into blossom. Nectarines and peaches: A very fair crop has eet under favourable conditions. Pears: A good average crop has set. Plums (European): There is promise of n moderate croi). Plums (Japanese): An average crop has set; the trees are in better condition than usual. Strawberries: The nlants aro looking well, but owing to dry weather can hardly mature a heavy crop. Tomatoes: IJuoer glass tho plants nre earring the fourth bunch of blossom, and am "looking well. Outside plants aro well established. October weather has been mild, iivilh moderate rains; orchards in a good slntn of cultivation are generally'looking well. Motiieka— Apples: Prospects indicate heavy crop of nil vaiieties. Apricots: Fair to light. Cherries: Fair, (looseberries: Average. Fairly heavy planting of Capo gooseberries. Lemons: Average. Nectarines: Fair to light. Oranges: 'Average. Peaches: Fair to light. Tears: Promise heavy crop. Plums: Average. Plums (Japanese): Average. Raspberries: Fair. Strawberries: Average. Tomatoes: Planting fairly heavv. Walnuts: Average. Weather still keeping dry. Very favourable conditions have prevailed for spring fungicidal sprayings. Canterbury.—Should the district escape anv late frosts there will bo a heavv crop of both apples and pears, as both varieties are setting very profusely. A frost about tho middle of tho month dW'consifle'rablo damage'to 'apricots and Japanese pliims. The first lot of local hot-hoiiss tomatoes camo on the market during the month, and chimed n high price. . Outside planting is commencing In favourable districts. There is ovidonco of • much more spraying having Ven dune this season, ami with care »ml attention clean fruit should bo the result.

Christchurch v City and Suburbs — Apples and pears aro blossoming or have set a very heavy crop of fruit. Apricots on tho Jlat were frosted, and there is no crop. Japanese- plums suffered severely, and European plums and peaches suffered more or less. Mildew and black spot aro plentiful where spraying has not been thoroughly"carried out. Kco: mite is well on the move, and close attention will need to be given to this pest. Hothouse tomatoes aro well advanced, and unhealed lionises have mostly set the first truss, nnd in some cases the second truss. Outside planting has commenced in favoured localities. ' South Canterbury.—Apples: Heavy blossom. Apricots: Fair to medium; much damage by small biros. Cherries: Heavv blossom. Gooseberries: Good promise. Nectarines:, Light. Peaches: Lidit. Pears: Very heavy set. • Plums: Heavy set. Fine weather has been experienced during the month, and the fruit crop generally is looking very promising. Light frosts aro still general. Otago.—Apples: A good blossoming; fruit now setting on early bloomers. Apricots: Heavy settings in all localities with the exception of large_ red varietv. Adverse weather conditions have affected these somewhat, and in a few isolated cases there is slight frost damage. Roxburgh locality being the most fortunate again in this respect. Cherries: Heavy settings everywhere up to tho present. Nectarines: These will only bo a fair crop from present indications. Peaches: Promise of crops. A cood deal of leaf curl showing in places. Pears: A good setting up to the present. Plums: Most varieties, both English and Japanese, showing very well. Strawberries: A good blooming. Southland-Apples: Good show of WoMom. To slight extent damage by wind, also frost. Ked spider showing badlv in sheltered localities. Gooseberries and Currants: Extra heavy crops set. Pears: Average show of bloom; setting baojv. Black spot showing on foliage. Plums: Very poor setting; very little promise of crop. Raspberries: Canes'looking well.