CITRUS CULTURE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 21, 16 April 1927, Page 18 (Supplement)

CITRUS CULTURE

EXTENT AT TAURANGA ACTIVITIES OF CITRUS ASSN. C From Our Resident .Correspondent.') TAURANGA, Thursday. Recently the Tauranga Citrus Fruits Associaiton conceived the happy idea of a visiting tour to a number of the citrus fruit orchards. There are getting on to 100 acres in this district in citrus fruit and the fact that it is an ideal place for the culture of such fruit is inducing many to go into the industry. The principal drawback is that it is a matter of four or five years before there is anything like a return from the trees. Seeing that four to five acres are sufficient for a fair size orchard, it means, if the industry is established on a profitable basis, very close settlement about Tauranga. One grower states that from three farms adjoining, making a total area of 16J acres, 100 tons of fruit was shipped from about two-thirds of tlie said area. The average planting here is from SO to 100 trees to the acre and, when they are in full bearing the lowest estimate is £2 per tree net. Lemons are the principal fruit, but there is a very fair area in oranges and this line is growing in favour, especially what used to be known as the “poorman’s orange,” and now as “the Golden Crown Grape Fruit,” being excellent for a breakfast dish, or for marmalade. Growers of this fruit realised 2d lb. net for last season’s returns and, as the trees are large and wonderfully prolific this is a profitable class to cultivate. In lemons the Lisbon and and Eureka predominate and opinion is divided as to which is the best, if anything it is in favour of the Eurekas. Valuable information as to the possibilities of citrus growing was gleaned during the tour when the properties of the following farmers were visited: Messrs. Davidson, J. M. Poole, IT. B. Mountfort, Jackson, G. F. Josephs, N. C. Chater, B. C. Robins, Withell, and Colonel Mayfield.