THE FRUIT MARKET.

Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 49, 31 January 1902, Page 5

THE FRUIT MARKET.

PLENTY AND ; CHEAPNESS

Tbe Wellington'fruit market appeals to be in a very interesting position just at present. For weeks past immense supplies have been arriving from Nelson and our own up country districts, and the result is -that the prices obtained are such as to render it extremely doubtful whether the producers will reap any benefit ■ whatever. Wellington has usually enjoyed the reputation of being a place where fruit was sold —retail, at any rate : —at a very high figure, and an Evening Post reporter made some enquiries last Monday as to the reason of this somewhat remarkable change. ' i •- - Mr F. W. Haybittle, of the firm of George Thomas and Co., said the 'plentiful crop of stone fruits, from the Auckland orchards especially, had fairly glutted the markets. One of the reasons of the large production, he went on to say, is that the orchardists in that district have discarded the old English varieties of plum trees, and have imported Japanese descriptions, which are wonderful bearers. When in that district in October last he saw some of these trees which, though only planted four years, were simply a mass of bloom, and he regarded it then as a sure indication of a very heavy crop. There are now, said Mr Haybittle, four steamers a -week arriving in Wellington from the Auckland district, each bringing at least 1500 cases of f i uit—plums, tomatoes and peaches, as well as cucumbers. There are also very heavy shipments from Nelson and Hawkes Bay. "There is no doubt, in my opinion," he said, " that Hawkes Pay will eventually be one of the str mgest competiiors against Auckland ard Nelson in the fruit trade. The orchards there are assuming considerable proportions, and orchard ists are doing the thing systematically. I was up t: e*e in October, and nevar saw a cleaner district. There were indications of a immense crop, greater by far than Auckland and Nelson, but the frost <-ame and swept away practically the whole'of the peach crop. - Goodness knows what would have happene 1 if the crop lad bee a a success ; it's bad enough now. Auckland plums, 201 b boxes, are selling at from Is 6d, and tV'se from Hawkes Bay, 241 b to 251 b boxes, of a better kind of plum, are realising 2s and 2s 3d ; and Nelscn, f ram Is 6d 2s. There is also a tremendous j.lut of tomatoes this year. For the last two seasons the Nelson producers made such a big thing out < f the tomato 3rop that the Wood and Maitai Valleys, formerly used for the cultivation of hops, have now been turned into tomato houses. The result has been that the market is fairly flooded, and while tomatoes in the earljpart of tbe year were fetching 14s a case, they are now down to 3s, and will possibly go lower. Tomatoes are also coming from the Auckland and Hawkes Bay districts in large quantities. This glut naturally affects other vai-ieties which are not in such volume, such as hothouse grapes. At this time last year they were realising Is 6d per lb. Now they are down to 9d and Is. All descriptions of Sydney fruit are neglected, owing to the ■niendnus volume of local stone •Puits

Asked as to tl e- probable result of this state of affairs, Mr Haybittle said he could see nothing but anxiety for the growers, and no profit. During the last three weeks the Wellington firms had been putting, through 12,000 eases a week, and- as the outside markets on the two lines of railway are almost shut dmvn, owing to the fa-t that fruit is now s being grown i j those districts, the demand must soon ceas J. Luckily, a big; demand is made by the

WeliiijjLt u jani factory, arid Mr Haybittle considers that the remedy is to inc. ease the number of jam factories, and so create a demand for the immense production of fru : t which may yearly be expected.