THE FRUIT CROPS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 42, 13 November 1920, Page 12

THE FRUIT CROPS

SEASON'S PROSPECTS UEVIEWED. Tho Director of tlie liJrliculhiro Division of :Ih> Department of Agriculture lias received tlin following reports from hia ollictrs regarding the conditions of the fruit croiw at the end of October:— Aucklnnd —Apples: Indentions henry settling nil round. Gooseberries: Fair to medium. Lemons: Heavy blossoming. Nectarines and peaches: Fair setting following heavy "hlossominp. Pears: Heavy set. Plums l.lnpnne=e): Average set. Strawberries: Good supply early berries on market; plants making splendid progress for heavy crop. Tomatoes: Heavy plantings outdoor stuff. Heavy showers haTe fallen during the month, making

for ideal spring-growing weather. Applos are a heavy sot and pears ore decidedly uliovo the averago. Strawberries are do- | ing romarknbly well, and heavy crops' are promised. Orchard plantings rhis season were not heavy, and comprised mostly citrus. Auckland South—Good ■ seasonable weather throughout month. Pip fruits setting well. Stono fruit still promising good crop. Curl rather prominent in small orchards. .Strawberries now being placed on markot in fair'quantities. Now potatoes ako being sold, very slight attack of blight so far. Tomatoes doing well. Waikato.—Apples: Early varieties sot well. All others showing wealth of bloom. Apricots: Poor. Cherries: lilov somcd excellent. Gooseberries: Promising. Lemons: Recovering from attack 'of disease. Nectarines: Good settling, if not late frosts. Peaches: Appear to have set woll. Pears: lleavy setting on some varieties. Black spot showing, l'lums: Appear to be patchy. Plums (Japanese): Fairly good setting. Strawberries: Looking very well. Tomatoes: Lnrge quantities planted, coining away well. Ilawko's Bay: Apples. Good , average crop, except Dunns, which are light. Apricots: Light, averago crop only. Cherries: Promise well. Gooseberries: Medium crop. Lemons: Good show of bloom, and vigorous growth. Nectarines: Medium to light. Peaches: Early varieties, light; mid-season, good average; late, medium to heavy. Pears: Setting woll, rather heavy average crop promised. Plums: English, light; Japanese, medium to heavy. Raspberries and Loganberries Promise aJjood crop. Strawberries: Below average. Tomatoes: Extent of plant*, ing quite up to usiinl'. Marlborough.—Apples: Apparently setting fairly heavily. Apricots: Crop will ba rather light. Cherries: Fair setting. Gooseberries: Heavy. Nectarines: Rather light. Leaf curl very much in evidence. Ponrs: Apparently lighter than Inst yeni, but- prospects of a fair crop. Plums: Light; Japanese, fairly heavy; hrown rotcausing destruction of young fruit. Kaspborries: Not grown. Strawberries: Heavy Betting of fruits only a few grown, horo. Nelson.— Apples: Tho tree.? ore now setting their fruit nnder. very fair conditions. Apricots: A moderate crop maturing. Cherries: In most orchards theso trees aro setting well. Nectarincs and peaches: The prospects aro for a short crop. Pears: A good average seeing seems to be assured. Plums: There is_ promise of an average crop. Tomatoes: rhe plants, have started under good conditions. Canterbury.—Apples: Most varieties showing abundance of bloom. In many localities Lord Wolscley light as a result of the hea'vy crop borne by tlm trees of this vfirlety last season. Generally promise of a good crop. Ml'aett in evidence on flower clusters of Kibstori Pippin and others. Apricots: In some localities a, heavy crop has sot. Generally, a medium to good crop. CJiemt's: Heiavy crop .blossoming. In early localities a heavy sotting. Goosbberries: Good crops. Nectarines: Good crop. Peaches: Good. crop throughout district. Pears: All varletios have shown ail abundance of bloom. In early varieties the set is uncertain yet. Black* spot m evidence. Plums: Good' crops of all varieties. Japanese have shown abundance of broom. Promise of good seßing. Bladilor or pocket plum prevalent in sonic localities; Strawberries: 111 bloom. Tomatoes: Hot*house plants are well forward. Outdoor planting is in full swing. There is a considerable increase in tho area planted out this season. Otago.—The weather has been very good for the blossoming of fruit trees and good settings arovthe rulo. A rather severe frost was experienced in Central area". Cromwell reports: very little damage." Alexandra reports: "General opinion not had some parts frosted. Earnscleugh reports: "Considerable damage by frost in a number of orchards." No adverse reports from Teviot district. Nothing furthor to add. Last month's reports still indicate tho prospects of the various fruits.