BETTER ORANGES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 88, 8 January 1935, Page 11

BETTER ORANGES

Improved Methods in Cook

Islands

NATIVES INTERESTED “I expect New Zealand within the next few years to be getting from the Cook Islands a very much better quality of citrus fruit than in the past,” said Mr. R. McKegg, managing director of a Cook Islands fruit trading firm, who arrived in Wellington from Rarotonga by the Maungauui yesterday. In an interview he told of the work that is being done to establish with modern methods new plantations m the islands.

“Of course prices are low, but the quality of fruit has not been too satisfactory, particularly that of citrus,” Mr. McKegg said. “The only oranges sent to New Zealand from the islands so far have been from native trees, which are old; but we are now importing large quantities of the best trees from California, and they are doing wonderfully well. In a few years’ time we should have some very highclass citrus to ship to New Zealand. - “The natives are very interested in the work that is being done. The trees are being grown on exactly the same lines as they are in California, with special spraying and so on, and the natives are keen on getting trees of their owm to give them similar treatment. They are certainly taking a great interest, which is a particularly good thing for their own benefit, and with our lead they are even turning their attention to growing new varieties of oranges. We ourselves are also growing trees which will bear fruit at a different season from the other varieties so that we will be able to send away at least several months’ more citrus shipments than we have done in the past. “Bananas have made recently a wonderful improvement in quality, and I believe they will improve still further. Also an appreciable increase in quantity was shipped last month. This is probably a sign of the beginning of the expansion of trade in this direction, and as the Cook Islands are in effect part of New Zealand no doubt our interests will be protected when the question of quotas comes up again. “Trade altogether is depressed in the Cook Islands, due to the fact that some of the industries are continuing to be more or less dead. Included in these is the trade in p-pi pearls, small, straw-coloured pearls that are found off Penryn Island and are bought usually by Spanish girls. There has been a slight improvement in the price for copra, but the freights are high and practically no copra trade is carried on.

“In Rarotonga we have a very good commissioner—Judge Ayson.” Mr. McKegg concluded. “The place is being well run. and the general health of the islands is good.”