THE LAND OF APRICOTS

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 66, 10 December 1921, Page 5

THE LAND OF APRICOTS

A VISIT TO CENTRAL OTAGO

GREAT PROSPECTS FOR FRUIT GROWING

Central Otago has long been regarded; by many misinformed people as a cold, bleak, inhospitable region, fit only to nourish merino sheep and rabbits. However, away up amongst tho everlasting hills there are many valleys, into which the sun pours floods of warm rays upon particularly rich soil, that has been washed down from the steep hillsides by the storms of centuries. Two Government officials—Mr. J. A. Campbell, Director of the Horticultural Division of the Agricultural Department, and Mr. George Stratford, orchard instructor—have just returned from a week’s visit to Central Otago, and both have 'been greatly impressed with the natural advantages the region possesses as a field for fruit culture. The officers went south at the express request of the fruitgrowers of Central Otago, who desired advice upon, the best methods of exporting their products. To a Dominion reporter last week Mr Campbell gave some interesting i particulars regarding tho trip. They started off, ho said, by delivering addresses before the Fruitgrowers’ Association at Dunedin. Mr; Stratford is eminently qualified to give advice upon the packing, export, and marketing of fruit, as ho had a wide experience in this connection in America before coming to New Zealand, and was recently retained by the New Zealand Government while on a visit to England to go fully into the best methods of disposing of New Zealand fruit on the Homo market. After leaving Dunedin, Messrs. Campbell and Stratford proceeded to Central Otago and delivered addresses to the fruitgrowers dt TTcirfck, Roxburgh, Cromwell, and Earnsclough. The growers were nil most closely interested. They are at present, Mr. Campbell explained, in a difficulty as far as U.e export of their fruit is concerned, by reason of the fact that they have not sufficient to load a steamer at Port Chalmers, and consequently have to ship by way or Lyttelton or Wellington. This means that the cases are more knocked about iby frequent handling than they would be if shipment could be made direct from Port Chalmers. After hearing what, the officers of the Department had to tell them, it is regarded as almost certain, if nothing better offers, that tho Central Otago orchardists will ship a few hundred cases from Wellington in order that their fruit may bo introduced- to the Home market. Mr. Campbell was very highly impressed with Central Otago as a fruitgrowing district. Irrigation is all that /is required down there, he considers, to make the district one of the richest fruit-producing regions in the world. The soil and climate are especially adapted to apricot culture. Be saw apricots growing, in profusion round about Crom-

well, the trees being loaded almost down to the ground, and the fruit being of excellent lustre and flavour. Apricots, he explained, are the most profitable of all fruits, as they are not only a popular table delicacy, but they can bo turned into jam, and do equally well as preserved fruit, and even 'better still as dried fruit. There is. a strong demand for dried apricots all over the world, and as it is not every country that can grow apricots, Central possesses a great asset dn this alone.Many of the fruitgrowers down there aro using the water races installed by the old miners) for irrigation purposes.

These, however, are not large enough, and tho Government now contemplates undertaking extensive irrigation works which arc expected to make the district blossom like the rose, aud bring iorfli fruit in abundance. There is a great depth of particularly rich soil, and when once an adequate supply of water is available, those localities which are immune from late frosts will develop into wonderful apricot-producing areas. The Central Otago- district, the director of Horticulture declared, had sustained -a severe and lasting injury through the mad rush for gold in tho days of the dredging, boom, rooting up the valuable river flats in all directions. These now presented a more woe-tegone appearance than the battlefields of Flan, tiers. It/would be possible to fill in tho trenches in I'Tance, but it would be an i insuperable, task toi reclaim tho mass of boulders, shingle, tind sand cast up by tho dredges on the rich river flats, ruining them for all time for agricultural purposes. The settlers down there considered that the dredging companies should have been compelled to remove the rocks and stones they threw up out of the canals they cut through the river flats. s A certain amount of sluice mining was still being carried on in Central Otago, and it was wonderful what could lie done by water power. I.eads of water, pouring from a great height, had power to cut through solid like a gigantic knife.- “Water power was even being used to remove the overload from lignite coal pits, thus greatly lessening the cost of production. Summing up, Mr. Campbell said there was not the slightest doubt but that. Otago, when irrigation had been introduced, would become one of the ! richest fruit-producing districts in the : Dominion, and when the orehardists > there realised the value of apricot grow- ‘ ing they would discontinue apple cui- ? ture, and confine themselves exclusively j to.apricots. Many districts could grow < apples, 'but few could produce apricots, ‘i and Central Otago was eminently fitted ; for raising this eagerly-sought class or j fruit. !,