FUTURE OF FRUIT-GROWING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 185, 23 August 1937, Page 6

FUTURE OF FRUIT--GROWING

Mr. J. H. Milne Reviews Hazards of Industry BIG CROP EXPECTElJ ''Plan for the fufure rather than dwell on the disappointments of xhe past," was the auvrce given by the president, Mr. J. H. Milne, to growers at tlie annual meeting of the Hawke 's Bay Fruitgrowers ' Association on Saturday afternoon. Rexerence was made to the' recent; adoption of standardisation which would' be the means »£ laying the foundation for a system of more orderly marketing. In moving the adoption of the annual report which has already . been puhlished, Mr. Milne said that, in looking back over the past -year, most would agree that it had been a - year that growers would sooner have behind them. Lessons of the Past. '; The question of hazard was a real one and it had* to be taken into coasideration, probably more eo in fruitgrowing than in any other elass of farming. To profit by the lessons learned from the past year was 'an individual matter. Some of the growers might elect to provide against hazard by the indirect niethod of keeping sufficient in reserve to carry over to better times. This, isaid Mr. Milne, was taking an easy way out by - keeping expenditure within the general average over a number of years and acce'pting it as a working baeis. This was about all that could be done as far as losa caused by hail" and storm was con- . corned. With xegard to frost and, drought, however, it would be worth while for those growers, who were' in areas subject to the visitations, to go carefully into the pros and cons oi providing some form of snitable protection, Growers here Had had sufficient experience to enable them to adopt such protective measures as would reduce very greatly ..the risk of. Ioss froin frost and in •some areas from droughts also. "It looks as though we are in for a dry "season and, apart -from irrigation, it would he necessary to ; pay particular attention to the foundation sprays to insure that the foliage is in the- best condition," said Mr. Milne. "Leaf scoreh is always severe in droughty conditions. Another very necessary precaution is thorough and early thinning. neavy Bioeaning indicated.

' "Indications are everywhere ' .apparent that Hawke 's Bay orchards - aro going to have tho Heaviest blooming that we, liave ever known," continued Mr, Milne. "Growers who wish to benefit by this promise" of a recprd crop . will have to put in more than a leisurely 40-hour week to get the necessary thinning finished in time. An excessive blooming, such as we are about to' experience, has a, debilitating effeet that is apt to lead to bi-annual bearing. In checkrdg this undesirable habit the only means we have are spur pruning and early thinning. "We^are to start the nfew season under standardisation and in doing so wo will be laying the foundation for a more orderly. marketing system tliaa the fruit industry of this Dominion has so far known. "The apprehension that might exist in the minds of some with regard to our ability to sucdessfully market the bumper crop that is eininent may be quite uncalled- f or. Let us hope that the good crop and good prices may this time both arrive in the same season," he concluded.