SWEET ORANGES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22338, 24 May 1947, Page 8

SWEET ORANGES

GISBORNE GROWN BEST IN DOMINION , BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD Gisborne grows the best sweet oranges produced in New Zealand. This lias been proved over the past 10 or so years and during that time production has been on a limited scale. The future holds much for the district in citrus culture, with emphasis on the sweet orange. The Gi'borne climate is almost ideally suited to meet the needs of the orange—more so than elsewhere in the Dominion—and the fruit from selected trees compares favourably with imported oranges. Although trees have been grown in the district for many years, the industry is in its infancy, with its commercial prospects as yet unfathomed. Orchardists who have pioneered the varieties and root stocks have investigated the commercial possibilities with some success and the field is opening out now that their experiments have been completed. Unprofitable trees have been lopped and budwoed introduced from other trees yielding larger crops and more palatable fruit. More Heat Units When it is said that Gisborne is almost ideally suited it is claimed that the district has the advantage of more heat units during the final stages of the growing season necessary to sweeten the orange than other districts. One disadvantage is in the frequency of drought periods, which affect the productivity of the evergreen. Water is important in an economic orchard. The ideal is an average rainfall of Sin. per month, which means approximately 675 gallons per tree per month, or 224 gallons per day required by a mature tree. Careful irrigation could overcome that difficulty. It would need to be careful because citius orchards must have good drainage as the trees do not prosper with wet feet. These facts have been well known to commercial growers and residents of the district with a few trees to cater for their requirements and the needs of their friends. Experts in citrus culture visiting Gisborne from time to time have confirmed the views already expressed in this article, and the following definite statement was made only this week by Mr. H. M. Mouat. pomologist, Plant Diseases Division. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Auckland. It might be added that Mr. Mouat has made several visits to Gisborne during the harvest seasons. “Gisborne is very definitely one of the most promising districts in New Zealand so far as citrus is concerned. Sweet oranges of outstanding quality have come from your district,” he told a Gisborne Herald representative. Acquisition of Land From time to time many Gisborne residents and visitors to the district have inquired into the possibility of acquiring land to establish a grove of citrus, but in the case of the visitors they have found it impossible to buy land to meet all their requirements and have moved on to the other citrusproducing districts. A premium has been paid for land in the Tauranga and Kerikeri districts. Reports that up to £3OO per acre has been paid for land at Tauranga have been confirmed, but the Herald’s informant said the land fetching that high price was just beyond the borough boundary in a favoured suburb known as Otumoetai. Property owners in that suburb were able to command such a high price because of the suitability of the soil for citrus and also of the area, as a residential one for the expanding borough. Seven or 10 miles out of the town, even as far north as Katikati, land almost as suitable for citrus production could be bought for less than £IOO per acre. North of Auckland, at Kerikeri, inflated prices also were being paid for citrus land, but it was well known that the citrus-producing country was confined to a smaller area in that locality.

Ten to 15-Year Wait

The decision to grow citrus requires careful thought, and planning because poor returns will follow an ill-chosen site, hasty choice of root stocks and budwood, and inadequate shelter, to mention only a few of the essentials. A considerable sum of money could be sunk into a comparatively small area of land during the lengthy period of 10 to 15 years between the preparation of the ground for planting, the planting and the marketing of the first produce. It can be seen that many obstacles confront the prospective citrus grower. Because of the time taken to establish a grove the intending grower must have age on his side if~he is to see the fruits of his labour and because of that he must have adequate finance.. The first essential, however, is the availability ol suitable land within the means of the producer who has to wait such a long period for his returns.