TOMATO CULTURE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 79, 3 April 1928, Page 10

TOMATO CULTURE.

REVIEW OF THE SEASON. CONTROVERSY OVER IMPORTATIONS. TO BE DISCUSSED THIS EVENING

"The culture of tomatoes under glass i is becoming a very important industry in th 6 Auckland district," said Mr. W. H. Kice, N.D.H., Government orchard [ instructor for the Auckland district, when, asked for his observations and experiences in tomato culture for the 1927 season. "For many years," he continued, "the pioneers of this produce, out or season, have demonstrated that it is possible to cater for the desires of those who require tomatoes at a time when open-air-grown fruits are unprocurable, and something better than the quality of the imported article is required.

"During the last three years more glasshouses have been erected than were in existence prior to 1925," he went on. "This, together with improved cultural methods, is responsible for a threefold increase of the amount of fruit grown, while capital invested is certainly not less than £250,000. The crop averages of weight have been well up to the returns of expert growers in the United Kingdom, and have been gradually increasing as the most suitable variety is being evolved. Evolved is correct." he added, "as varieties which succeed under other conditions do not necessarily meet tho- requirement* of this particular district, and. though each year new and standard varieties are grown, the best results are being obtained by growers who have by a process of selection evolved a type of fruit suitable."'

Imported Tomatoes. Touching 011 imported tomatoes, Mr. Rice said t!.ere were many special problems with which growers in the Auckland province had to contend. They were working under the handicap of a short season when profitable prices were to be realised. The market was supplied through the main period of the scarcity with imported Island tomatoes, and the supply of theso fell off some six weeks before the tint New Zealand outdoorgrown fruits came on the market. This necessitated the local glasshouse crop being rushed to fill that period'—an unnatural state of culture which brought in its train special troubles and trials, and these required much skill to counteract. The field culture of this fruit had also attained great dimensions, and was attended with other problems common to both forms of culture.

Tomato Growers' Association. "An Auckland District TomatoCrowers' Association has l>een formed during the past year," said Mr. Rice, "and growers will now benefit by united thought and aetiqn which is being brought to bear on the industry. Similar associations have been formed in Hawke's Bay and Hutt Valley, while Nelson and Christchurch have had their own associations for some years." Association President's Views.

In view of the special general meeting of the Auckland Tomato and Stone 1 Fruitgrowers* Association, which is' being held this evening, Mr. W. S. House, j president of the Auckland District j Fruitgrowers' Federation, was also asked - for a review of f the season- which is being brought to a close. "It has been a fair one on the whole, largely as a result of weather conditions. There has not, however, been the amount of over production which at one time was expected," he said. "In Hawke's Bay the early crop was 1 matured and sold from the Bay View district before the inland crop, which was somewhat late, was on the market. Then the main Hastings crop was past its prime when the Hutt Valley supplies—which, on the whole, were lighter than usual—came on to the market. In : Nelson the outdoor crop wu below the • average on account of tne faet that from 1 the end of November to the end of March less than four inches of rain fell. : In Auckland, except in the case of thoso [ with a fair supply of water for irriga-j tion purposes, the crops had been light, 1 and in some instances practically a I failure. Probably in no recent year had ! tho need for an adequate supply of, water at all seasons for irrigation of gardens, orchards, and even farm crops, been more realised than it had this one. J The citrus orchards had in many cases suffered severely. These facts were men-1 tioned so that in the slack season of j the year growers may in each centre I consider the matter of marketing- and! distribution of their crops in 1028-29. j "Not only is there need to consider j this matter from the purely local aspect of each district," said Mr. House, "but now that the basis of co-operation between the different districts has been provided through the formation of district associations in all the leading tomato growing centres, the matter has assumed Dominion proportions which ean only be met by co-operatively considering and arranging for standardisation of cases, of packs and grades, and attending on scientific lines to the distribution and advertising of the product so a3 to increase the sales and prevent over-lapping in the marketing In one place while others arc left with short! supply. 1 Cook Island Tomatoes.

"The matter of Cook Island tomatoes had exercised the ininds of the growers considerably," continued Mr. House. "The Minister of Internal Affairs had been approached, and through him the Minister in charge of the Cook Islands had asked that all tomatoes should be marked with the class and origin, thus, hothouse, open air, or Cook Island, Fiji, etc., so that the public could knowexactly what they were buying.

"In regard to the Cook Island tomato, however, it was realised that whatever is done should be on the lines of mutual co-operation. The supply came from these islands in New Zealand's winter season, and on into the spring. It was only in the months of November and December that the supply hit very .hard the growers in the Dominion, who were producing, and had been producing for the New Zealand consumers for the past many years. In this trade it was. hard to say how many families were engaged and partly or wholly dependent upon it; hut this much was certain, the capital invested runs into several hundreds of thousands in glass houses alone, and without some mutual arrangement for the reduction of the island supply, or its absolution during those mdnths,- a flourishing industry would be hard hit, and might, in many instances, be ruined."