WINTER PLANTING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 133, 8 June 1942, Page 6

WINTER PLANTING

trees in DEMAND §

CITRUS AND ORNAMENTAL

Citrus and other fruit trees are in heavy demand in Auckland as the annual winter planting season gets under way, and early reports indicate that private gardeners ar& more than usually active. It was stated to-day that orange and lemon trees were sharing equally in pop u . laritv. while the demand for appi e and stone fruits, berries and small fruits covered a wide range. Dry summer and early autumn conditions somewhat checked the growth in the nurseries, and the warm autumn rains produced more than the usual amount of tender leafage on citrus trees which was not desired at planting time, but as the conditions for putting out the trees were more favourable than in June of last year this was not causing concern. It was expected that planting operations would: continue for three months. -There is a big inquiry f or shelter and ornamental trees and roses, as well as for fruit trees," said a leading suburban nurseryman. '•The difficulty is to secure the labour to cope with the demand. There appears to be no doubt that the nurseries will be able to .secure all the orders they can cope with, except perhaps for some classes of shelter trees normally required by farmers" It was stated that the stock position in the nurseries had been deteriorating over the past year or two, due to the loss of experienced men who had joined the armed forces, and the effects of the; labour position were likely to be progressively more difficult as the season advanced. Planting in the country districts would be affected by the inability of farmers to obtain iencin:; wire, said a city merchant. It the farmers could not provide double fences to protect young trees against damage by stock they would not plant, and those nurseries which havl been raising large numbers of macroicarpas and other trees normally planted in the rural areas might be un&ble to dispose of them. The trees '.sought by private gardeners were; of a different kind. Flowering and berry-bearing trees and • shrubs, as well as limiting shrubs like the guava and ( feijoia, were much in favour in the tfjity and suburbs, said another authority. Special interest was being shown in varieties which', were at their best in the winter. ,