FRUIT GROWING IN NEW ZEA LAND.

• AN AUSTRALIAN EXPERT'S APPJUriAIION. ilr George Quinn. Instructor in Horticulture and In.-.pcctor of Fruit Oistritts, ur.dci tho Aurji iiitur;il J>opartmont of iSoutli Au.straiia. who lias just returned, from a tour ir. various part* of the North v. :ls interviewed yt*t<?rday by a "Pn.-s" ipporttr in referenco to t-lio imi>i''-.-ion hv had gainoi of tho country. ''It VTius. mainly on in.c: to Ttio kindii<*s of your Department i>f ho said, ''th;it 1 was affordi-d an opportunity of inspecting a gocd <ieal oi the North Lala-nd. Whnt ii:ipior«\l mc :ui mucli Sβ anything was the highly productive charaoU-r <f tho land. »S> far fruit-giiv.virii is n.iKciiKil, it i;ee:ns a..s it N«<w Zi.:i-.ii;d was <>n : y l>eginuing to f-.ii!■;■. r'u uiumi on-hardiiiii on a cunmieicial j>l a 1;-:. a.> .u> m.i.'t i>t-ind it in Australia, 'i ho (.'j:i!ity oi .some oi tho fruit showed tT-.it tin-ro aio pri-at j)ort.ibilitics in the trade. 1 v;>iuxi \\ airt'ii'ia, Hu:i.kur.i, and jirirtions oi tii<> Ma.'iir.v.itu t\:.-~: i -'.v: . I ivis much iiitorcsst-f-'l in ti:e Covernment <>xperip.icuto tit Wairt'iign, in tho direction of planting orchard* on specially £Klc-cU'd eitcs <>f ]ioor land. Gr<Mt skill has hion diep!:iy<d in «'ffrctiv«'ly the tret* with timber belts. It may bo. come cont-nt tor the people of New Zealand to Lnow that iv the various Australian Stiitivi, goo<l .fruits aru protliu-wl on land as jxxir or even i-H)oier than, that at Waiienpi. with a much lower rainfall. I believe tho experiment "ill i>iovo jn-ontaiile and aleo bo h< lpful to the jieople, jus they will bo ,vbli» to pr«K-uro orchards plantwl -"*■ it.li pioper varietite. "HiC viticuiuiral work at Waironga was highly intereating, and the vincvi appeared to enjoy rathor botU'r climatic cenditioius tji:ia those wen at Hawko's Hay. The keen etrngftle with fui:gu.s thi'-t -has to lx< waged w;is plainly cri'lem-.xl by tho presence of black spot and oidiuu. IE further testimony to the necessity for this combined conflict, were nootesary, it was supplied by tho tip;ht of an up-to-date ho'iso and appliances for storing and mixing spray compounds, and a motor engine for applying them. Tho nursery work at Wairenga nppeaiti to be. cai-riod out with considerable skill. a.nd I beliovo tho nurseryman in charge to bo exceptionally well iiitormetl on tho subject. . "1 wa3 alr.o deeply interested in the insectarium erected" by the Department at Auckland, wherein are l>eing conducted biwxlir.;?; experiinonte with the parasites of the codlin moth, introduced by JJounher from California. While not taking tho antagonistic viow that many Australians hold on this matter, 1 await with keen anticipation the results of the woTk K-ing performe<l here, and I think the different colonies am under an obligation to the N>w Zealand Government for having undertaken a teat of th« possibilities of thie parasite. I wish them erery hiccom in their enterprise. "At Ruakura I inspected the progress of a Tory vaulable test in the cultivation of native flax. This is especially intemsting to Australians, becausH thn plant ie .nwidily accliinatined in the wetter parts of different fctat«e, and grows there in consLder;tblo profu-ion. In moving about, I could not help noticing the difficulties of trawl which have to b> overcome by Neyp ZonlandeiE, as rompaiwl with the experience of our people. Those officers of tho Agricultural Department whoso duties mil them to all part* ot the country, have to surmount difficulties which are little heard of in our flatter and dryer countiy. In consequence of this, their work i« of a much greater tJnie-cojvymiiiife charootoT. 1 saw ,th» farming v>o^llo - -aijout. IT iMtixsnp, Palmerston NoHh, and the WaikiH», jihJ was impiv«.-<\d with, its fine stofk-neonng potenrmiiTiea.

"I was much 6urpri«=ed, howtver, to discover that nearly the, wholo of the retnil fruit tnide is )>raeticttlly a monopoly of tho Chinese, and tint the distribution of vegetables seems to l>e. ia tiioir hands ne well. Tn iSouth Australia a Chinese retail fruiterer would receive very short tshrift it raay bn news to tho people iiero to learn that to efficiently do the Europeans grow vejic tables, that tho C!hinese lmvl<ers purclm.ie Rcvon-eighths of their supplier fnun the Ku rope .in growers, very clearly that when the Eiiropf.in hf>t« himself tho task and ja willing to work, ho con outclass the Celestial. Our system of distribution, too, it; diilrrcnt to yours. In Adelaide we h;).ro three, vory fine rnarkete, «iich capable ot accommodjiting 3(X) fourwbeelod from which tho fruit and i~rodu<-e is sold wholesale or retail to any person wiehing to buy, dispentfiivjc altogether with the mi<ldleimii an<l ororcoming tlic possibility of a rinj; ooroerinp tho supply." Mr Quinu e;ii<l that, if p<i.v-il)!o, hv inteTrdcd to visit the. Central Ot.-igo fruit-!i!owir» district, of wiiich ho hid heard m> much. Ills tour in tho Xoith Island had been most enjoyable, thankp mainly to tlio efforts of tho cflicers of tho Agricultural Department. A great denl was to Ik; le.irnrd by an interchange of visitJ, and ho thought that if 60me of his New Zealand confrere* came to Australia, they also might pick up useful ideas. For his own part he had lt>;iini'<l much, particularly in refinrd to shelter belts ;uuJ hedges, and hr, also had gained considerable knowlodso relative to tho resources of the colony.