FRUIT GROWING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 53, 27 March 1909, Page 6

FRUIT GROWING.

PROFITABLE INDUSTRY WITII A FUTURE. AX ERRATIC SEASON. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, March 24. "The season lias been an erratic one for fruit, 1 ' said Mr J. O. Blackmore, the Government Penologist, to a reporter to-day. .Southland, lie continued, had a moderate crop of fairly good quality fruit, hi Otago thc results had been somewhat varied. The Teviot district had garnered one of the largest crops. The record estimate of 2500 tons, made early in the season, had been justified. The quality was very line, as the growers had worked on a thorough system of spraying and pruning, combined with , tillage. The districts about Clyde and Alexandra had also enjoyed record crops of fairly good quality. Taking the Central Otago district as a whole, there had been a largely increased output of cherries and strawberries.

The crops in Canterbury had been very poor in comparison with last year's, llail had inllicted a deal of damage on apples and pears, and it had been found difficult to secure fruit for the Shepherd's Bush Exhibition which had not been badly marked by thc hailstorms in the earlier part of the season. The plum crop had beeu erratic, but the cherry crop had been fairly good. Reports from the Nelson district indicate that the yield of fruit there nau oven satisfactory to the growers. Mr Blackmore states that there will be a considerable area of orchards in the Teviot district (Central Otago) this year. Many growers had already placed largo orders for the supply of necessary fruit trees to plant the additional areas. Personally, he believes there is no district in the Dominion which will be able to compete with Central Otago for high-quality apricots and -peaches, as its soil and climatic conditions are so eminently suited for the production of these fruits. When there is a more eli'icient system of transit to ! the markets, the industry will make i great strides.