H—29

Minor districts with between 10 and 25 acres are Acres. Nelson .. .. .. .. .. 17 Hawkes Bay .. .. .. .. 17 Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 13 Manawatu .. .. .. .. .. 10^ The major districts for currant-production with over 25 acres at 31st March, 1949, are :■ — Acres. Wairarapa .. .. .. .. 71 Nelson .. .. .. .. .. .. 33 Minor districts with between 10 and 25 acres are : Acres. Canterbury .. .. .. .. 18 Hawkes Bay .. .. .. .. 13 The Dominion acreages of berry-fruits at 31st March, 1949, are : Acres. Acres. Strawberry .. .. .. 364| Gooseberry .. .. .. 139f Easpberry .. .. .. 754 Currant .. .. .. 153 Loganberry .. .. .. 13 Boysenberry .. .. .. 25 There was an increase of 84 acres of strawberries in Auckland and 25 acres in Canterbury during 1948. In Nelson there was a decrease of 22 acres of raspberry, but the areas in Canterbury increased by 40 acres ; otherwise there were no significant changes. Berry-fruits : The estimated production of these fruits during the 1948-49 season was :

Production of all. berry-fruits has substantially increased this past season, particularly strawberry-production, which has more than doubled. Dr. C. H. Cadman, an authority on raspberry diseases, from the Dundee University,, in Scotland, when visiting New Zealand in 1947 recognized a disease, known in England as red-core root fungus, infecting strawberry-plants in the Auckland district. A survey of strawberry nurseries in the Hamilton district conducted in 1948 shows that this disease is widespread. Grass-grub is responsible for considerable damage among strawberry and raspberry beds in South Canterbury.

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— Strawberries. Raspberries. Loganberries. Gooseberries. Currants. Boysenberries Cape Gooseberries. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Auckland 419 8 11 9 14 Tauranga 7 i 1 1 Gisborne 1 3 1 2 " Hawkes Bay 15 150 3 30 15£ 15 Manawatu and 11 29A I 17 3 i 1 Wanganui Wairarapa 21 100 13 200 116 3 Nelson 13 191 23 26 5i 35 Marlborough I 6 o i Canterbury 82 334 16 16 25" Otago 30 108£ 2 15 16 Totals .. 581 930£46| 321£ 203 40£ 36