THE FRUIT INDUSTRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 203, 25 February 1914, Page 6

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY

GROWERS IX CONTEREXCE. Hy Telegraph- Press Association. Auckland. Monday. Fruitgrowers from all parts of the. Xorth Island attended the seventh annual conference of the Xew Zealand Association of Nurserymen this morning. The president (Mr. Alfred L. P. McDonald), iu opening the proceedings, observed that the Association had made progress all along the line, both the membership and the balance-sheet being satisfactory. On the subject of the formation of district councils in the various centres, the president said that since the last conference a district council had been launched in Auckland to ideal with purely local matters. There was no reason why there should not be I councils in Dunedin. Chrislcliurch, Wellington, Hastings, Napier and Xew Plymouth or Wangauui. It would then be possible to hold interchangeable conferences, lie suggested that the next conference should lie held at Pnlmerston. The executive's annual report stated that a net gain of live members during the year brought up the list of associated nurserymen in the Dominion to over 80. Xotwithstauding strong representations to the (lovernmcnl, proceeded the report, it had been found impossible during the year to get the necessary amendments made in the various Acts to enable the registration of nurseries to he ell'ected under the regulations mutually agreed upon with the Agricultural Department. Xext year they hoped to see definite action taken iu the matters of establishing a certifying board, standardising the names of fruits, establishing standard grades for trees (with a view to securing eipial prices for equal values in nursery stock), and the setting up of local nurserymen's councils in all centres possible. The questions immediately concerning the : executive were—(a) The cost of prnditeI tion in relation to retail prices, and (h) i the problem of the credit trade. ! The conference proceeded to elect olli- < jeers as follows:-President, Mr. W. S. I J Johnston (Ponsonhy); vice-president, j ' Mr. <!. .1. Mackav; committee. .Messrs I). ' A. Ilav, V. Bennett. W. W. ('iliddou Richardson, E. Allan and W. F. bippialt: lion, secretary and treasurer, Mr. (i. A. lirecn; auditor. .Mr. W. W. flliddon Richardson. The district viefc. presidents were re-elected, with the addition of Messrs E. C. Cibbonc (Chrislekureli), A. T. Thompson (Cisborne). J. X'inimo. 0. Ilowden and S. Cousins (Olagoi. - ■ A b ng di-cussion on the subject of grading nurs-iy stock ensued upon a remit from the executive recommending the conference to adopt the American Nurserymen's Association's definition, with such necessary alterations as Xew Zealand conditions demanded. In the course of the discussion, it was suggested that the vice-presidents in the different districts should be asked to give their views on the matter, while Mr. T. W. Kirk (Director of the Orchards Division of the Department of Agriculture), with oilier speakers, strongly urged that there should be some system of grading trees. Mr. D. A. Hay'attributed the necessity for grading to inferior trees sent out by Australian nurserymen.

The conference decided to endorse the principle of grading, and formed a committee, with power to act, which will communicate with the various centres and subsequently report their recommendations.