THE FRUIT CROP

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 25, 25 October 1920, Page 8

THE FRUIT CROP

'PROSPECTS EEVIEWBD;

The Director of thij Horticulture Divi swn of the. Department of Ag?™it ' has received the following repo Yt.s ron is officers regarding the conditions of Hie h'uit crops at the end of Suptem--Auckland-Apples: Promising heavv blossoming. Nectarinos: Jlodium flower, ing. Poaches, pears, and plums: Mostb heavy blossom. Strawberries: pi„„K looking remarkably rvll. Seasonable" work has been somewhat retarded \a heavy rains. However, spraying operatioiis for control of black spot are ii full swing. Citrus injured by frost ar showing signs of early recovery. Thert i a good prospect of heavy ' setting' 0 ; plums. Stra worries: Promising, well Auckland South—Pip and stone frtii showing promise of crops nbovp, the aver age. Growers generally intend sprayim with lime sulphur throughout season fo brown rot. Lemons looking well. Out door tomatoes heavily planted mid doinj well. Early potatoes recovering fron latn frost, but will be a fortnight Inti n.arketing. Waika to—Appl.es: Promising well; earl' varieties coming into bloom. Apricots' Poor. Cherries: Blooming well. Goose berries: Very promising. Nectarines Heavy crop of blossoms. Poacher?: Bloom ing very profusely. Pears: Pair. Plums Good. Plums (Jnpain.'so): Good. Straw berries: Looking well. Poverty Bay,.—Generally speaking stono fruit setting wgll. Pip fruits making good show of blossom. Mild am growing wratlmr prevailing. Hawko's Bay—Excellent show of bm and blossom. No frost so far durinj flowering period. Early flowering peaehe have set medium, heavy crop. Apricot: have set light Nelson.—Apples: The trees aro jus breaking into blossom. Apricots: Tin blossoming season about closed; tin- prom iso is for moderate crops only. Nectar ines and poaches: The trefH are now ii full blossom, with promise of a moderati ciop. Poavs: A good show of hloss'nn in -early flowering sorts—Keift'er's Hybrid ■yV inter Nelis, etc.—other varieties jus coming into flower. Plums: Both .Tap art so" and European varieties are 'bios soming well and promise good crops. To mntoes": Under glass, tfy two lowe: bunches, of blossom are out. Outsid planting aw nearly completed, Marlborough—Apple buds are nov moving fast and will presently be in fill bloom. P*w3 are blossoming profuse!-

1 iisent indications are for rather a poor setting of stone fruits generally. Alueh rain has fallen during the latter end of the month, seriously hampering the allimportant bud sprays for forward varieties, and partially at least nullifying the eftvets of such as have been applied. Tomatoes undw glass arc setting their first trusses, and outdoor planting is proceeding lipase. Freedom or otherwise from late frosts will of course be the deciding factor as regards tiro future of those being planted in tli;> open now. Canterbury.—Apples: Early blossoming varieties showing fairly well. Apricots and cherries: Showing well. Nectarines: Blossoming good.. Peaches: Good set, nearly all varieties. Pfcars and plums: Blossoming heavy. AH varieties fruit showing well, and appearance of a. heavy crop, providing frosts do not interfere. Otago (sub-district Central Otago, comprising Galloway, Alexandra, Clyde, KarnscleugK and Cromwldl).—Apples: Fair to good, onlv yet in olust'.r bud stage. Apricot*: Average to heavy setting. All places report slight lifting, rather severe in badly exposed and lower plaevs. Chorriw: Indications for heavy blooming everywhere. Nectarines: Medium to hcaw blooming. Average very good. Poaches: Fair to good, majority heavv, now in full bloom. Pears: Good to heavy, not vet in bloom. Plums: Indications for avrage crop. Plums (Japanese): Indications for gocd crop. A little black nrhis is alreadv reported. Strawberries: Very-binclnvard. Tomatoes: Indications of heavy plantings this season. Large quantity of plants being raised, poor strikes 'in seed beds in srmife cases. Season considered to be very late. Otago .-(sub-district Teviot, em'bracing Pcxburgli, Coal Creek Flat Dumbarton, Ettrick, Millor's Flat, Island .Block, Beaumont, and Taieri).- Apples: Good to heavy, onlv yet in cluster bud stage. Birds taking buds in some cases Apricots: Good to l-i;avy settings. Cherries: Indications for heavy blooming, not yet in bloom. Nectarines: Ofcod to heavy blossoming. ,T>aches: Good to extia luavv. Pears: Winter Nelis, heavy- showine of buds. Other sorts medium to-goad show, only yet in cluster stage. Flums: Medium to heavy. Most sorts not yet in bloom. Plums VW™)-*%**<sZ~ in» of buds, not yet. in bloom. Stiawtyrries: Starting away very slowly.

TREES ON SAND DUNES AFFOEESTATIoFoifcOAST LANDS. At'a meeting of the Maiiawatu Agricultural and Pastoral Association this week the question of using the waste lands along the W«U Coast was brought up, and on the motion ot Mr. ft. Uiuryiuple it was decided; "That the secretary write to tho Wanganui A. and 1. Association, the .Wellington Provmeia Executive of tho Earners' Union, and the llorowhenua, Mumiwatu, ltangilikei, and Waitotara County Councils,, pointing out the necessity of forming a ] West Coast Advisory Committee to work in conjunction with the Forestry Department in connection with tho proposed aftl'orestatien of earn! dune aioas; also to ask each body to appoint a delegate to attend a meeting to be held as soon as possible, at which Captain Ellis should lie asked to bo present." It was also decided ; "That the secretary writo to the Minister of Forestry urging him to bring I before the present Parliament any legislation required to 'plac* the Forestry Department on a practical working In' moving as above, Mr. Dairy tuple said ho had lately seen Captain Ellis, who was in charge of the l'orcstvy Department, and ho was of opinion that tho advice of a board of men who had had practical experience of p anting on coast lands would be very valuable, especially as none of the officers of his Department knew anything o the-sub-ject.. Mr. Dalrymple considered that there should be a forestry exhibit at the shows, including trees and timber obtained from them, as wel as the latest devices ill milling. He had seen such exhibits in other parts of the world, and they had evoked considerable interest. Trees had been grown on the sand dunes in the Foxton district winch served the dual purpose of stopping the drifting sand and providing excellent "it was pointed out that the planting of trees along the sandy-coast of the Bay of Biscay had resulted in providing millions of feet of S ood mi ling timber, which had been largely used during the recent war. ~,,,, • n.„ Mr. W. M'lCenzie said that during the previous week he had been at a conference of timber millers irom all partsj the Dominion, and there it had been emphasised how important was the conservation of forests. The coast ands would grow the timber which was urgently needed. ~ , Mr T. B. Hodder pointed out that tho matter had been brqught before the Board of Agriculture tune and again, and representations had been made to the Government, which, however had lone nothing to forward the scheme Thousands of acres on «>e coast be we n Otaki and New Plymouth could be ilanted. He advocated approaching the Government direct on the matter, which was one of urgency.