SOME FINE APPLES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9059, 7 April 1908, Page 7

SOME FINE APPLES.

PRODUCTS OF CANTERBURY ORCHARL. . SAMPLES ON EXHIBITION. TELEGRAPH —PRKSS ARSOCI/TION. CHRISTCHURCH, April 4. This morning Mr J. C. Blackmore, ■ Government Pomologist, showed a ""Star" reporter what he described as I the moat magnificent collection of i apples that it had ever been proposed ( to send out of the dominion. The collection consisted of five specimens . each of 300 varieties, and, although 1 in the space at Mr Blackmore's dis- 1 jposal, it was not so imposing as it I might have been if properly staged, i t f it was eloquent of the magnificent j IJ resources of Canterbury as a fruit- ( growng district. The apples, which are to reach Wellington on Wednes- 1 day, will be sent to England under ' the 1 auspices of the Industry and Com- < merce Department for competition < "With the United Kingdom and the ( whole of the British cd nief at the , Royal Horticultural Society's Show this year. 1 "In quality," said Mr Blackmore, < pointing to his collection, "you can- I not beat them in any part of the | world. We have had a dry season," | 'Mr Blackmore made answer to a , question, "and fruit this season is not so large on the whole as in a sea- * ■son witti an abundant rainfall, but I my anticipations have been exceeded < in regard to this collection. The growers have helped me most generously, although several men have , done all they can to prevent me from getting a representative collection - together. Practically the whole of the shipment is Canterbury grown, the fruit from outside being in smost cases too badly bruised for ■selection." The collection showed j*.• that the province had nothing to fear frum insect pests or fungi, and the work of thu department in bringing the matter before the public had resulted in mucb good. Along with the apples an exhibit •of pears will be sent Ho-ne. Mr Blackmore has already seventy five . varieties to choose from, but will | select only those he thinks will ar- ■ rive in good condition. The great gjoint in developing the fruit export trade, he says, is to ship only those 'varieties that are certain to land in -good condition.