H—29

Pip-fruits (Apple, Pear, and Quince) : The major districts for apple-production, with over 500 acres in apple-trees as at 31st March, 1949, were : Acres. Nelson (Nelson, Mapua, Motueka) .. .. 3,614 Hawkes Bay (Hastings) .. .. .. 1,364 Auckland (Auckland, Hamilton) .. .. .. 1,307 Canterbury (Christchurch, Timaru) .. . .. 927 Central Otago (Roxburgh, Alexandra) .. .. 896 Minor districts with over 100 acres and under 500 acres include : Acres. Marlborough (Blenheim) .. .. .. .. 386 Wairarapa (Masterton) -. .. .. 146 Poverty Bay (Gisborne) .. .. .. .. 95 The major districts for pear-production with over 250 acres in pear trees were : Acres. Nelson .. .. .. .. .. 320 Ha wkes Bay .. .. .. .. .. 269 Minor districts with over 50 acres and under 250 acres include — Acres. Central Otago .. .. .. .. .. 124 Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 105 Canterbury .. .. .. .. 86 Quinces are grown only to a limited extent, Auckland and Hawkes Bay being the only districts with over 50 acres in quince-trees. The areas in these districts in 1948-49 were : Acres. Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 63 Hawkes Bay .. .. .. .. .. 51 The total acreage in pip-fruits was : Acres. Apple .. .. .. .. .. 8,999 Pear .. .. .. .. .. 1,006 Quince .. .. .. .. .. 186 Total .. 10,191 Apple, pear, and quince tree figures were almost stationary in 1948, except in the Hawkes Bay district, where nearly 3,500 apple-trees were planted in commercial orchards, the most popular variety being Granny Smith. Reworking of one variety to a more popular variety continues, nearly 700 appletrees of miscellaneous varieties being reworked to Sturmer, Golden Delicious, Jonathan,, and Granny Smith varieties in the Nelson (Mapua, Motueka) district. The total of pip-fruit trees at 31st March, 1949, was :—■

96

— In Orchards Over 120 Trees. In Orchards Under 120 Trees. Totals. Trees. Trees. Trees. Apple 1,060,354 19,513 1,079,867 Pear 116,688 4,076 120,764 Quince 20,793 1,515 22,308