TAURANGA SOIL AND CLIMATE IDEAL FOR LEMON CULTURE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LII, Issue 8616, 13 June 1924, Page 11 (Supplement)

TAURANGA SOIL AND CLIMATE IDEAL FOR LEMON CULTURE

\S a fnnt growing district Tnuranga - posM.'.-sc-i many advantages, but the industry has in the past, uutoiTuuaudv, suffered from the difficulty of reaching good markets. Reaches, phims, apples, pears, quinces, etc., al! grow proldically. hut principally, tor reasons stated, the growing of these fruit;-, is not receiving great attention. Passion fruit and grapes thrive wonderfully, and other fruits do exceptionally well. The lemon, however, is the kingpin of the district in fruit culture. It is claimed that lemons and ‘■poorman” oranges grow in the Tauranga district lietter than anywhere e!-o hi the 'Dominion, and as a matter of fact Tamanga is at present far and away the largest supplier to the Auckland market. Of course the whole district i.s not suitable, hut the areas near the seaboard and Alatakana Island are ideal for the raising of citrus fruits. Government and other experts have lung borne testimony to thi|s. New Zealand is to-day importing lemons and oranges from other countries, hut if citrus growing received the attention which it deserves there is enough land near the Tauranga seaboard and on Alatakana Island to carry thousands of lemon groves, which would not only meet the whole citrus requirements of New Zealand, hut also leave a substantial surplus for export. The lemon has innumerable uses in the household, and can bo utilised for tlm making of all sorts of fond delicacies. It will To readily admitted that from a local, as well as a Dominion standpoint, the citrus fruit industry should ho encouraged. Lemon growing has made great strides in Tauranga during the past few years and highgrade lemons from local orchards arc now being distributed all over New Zealand, ft is the intention of the citrus growers to take the necessary steps to still further improve the quality of their fruit in every way possible. If the required protection is afforded, the citrus industry will continue to expand, and in the not far distant future New Zealand will he quite independent of outside supplies. The orange grown here with the misnomer of “poorman” is in reality a nomelo, which makes an oce-ptlonally fi.no ’dessert when ripe, equal if not belter than the grape fruit if oaten in the same way. This class of orange is becoming increasingly popular and grows to perfection in this district. In South Africa mid Australia the citrus fruit industry has assumed important dimensions. The Cape sends large supplies to the British market. 1n this connection the following reference quoted by a journal some time ago is worth repeating here; “North ■America has not yet s-ompled South African citrus fruits. It is anticipated . by Mr A. IL Davis, formerly chief horticulturist to the Union Government, that when rapid and regular communication has been opened between South Africa and the New AVorld an enormous development in the citrus business- will take place. One thing is needful, and that is good fruit. The Americans are the one nation who cat fruit properly, as a food or as a diet- t otic. Fruit is to them a necessity, and ; as long as it is good, money i.s no oh- i ject. To send anything but really i'ust-clasa quality to America, or to • Europe for that matter, would bo sheer

l folly. It would thn- appear that the • citrus fruit industry is becoming an important one in Soul!) Africa and that, growers are looking to the di-po>;,] ~f - their limit in the world s leading markets. AATiat .South Africa can do New Zealand should he able to accompli,fi. Due of the lar "X'.sr. i»ro<! iK’iii •_? yevt's in the Tauranga district is owned ' v Mr U. S, Benjamin, who has -lot) trees on Ids property at Duimoetai. Them trees cover an area of about four acres and are not yet up to full producing rapacity. Mr Benjamin has handed over the working management of the citrus orchard to his son, Mr Bomdd Benjamin, who dots all the work ssociated with the grove without the employment of any other help. Unpins are planted a.s a cover crop in the autumn. These are allowed to grow during the winter and arc ploughed in in the Spring. A little fertiliser is also applied periodically, fare is taken to keep the ground clean in the slimmer, the bulk of the work being done with a pair of light horses. The cultivation is light and no deep-toothed cultivators are employed. This is because the fibrous roots oi the lemon are near tin' surface and the necessity for stirring the soil i.s of paramount importance, especially in dry weather. Mr Benjamin's grove has yielded excellent returns, and the fruit is of splendid quality. Urinous from this orchard were awarded first prize at the Tauranga Agricultural show in February last. An expert, with Californian experience, has commented on the fine even grade of these lemons, and for two years Mr Benjamin's lemons have shown the host average grade for the Tauranga district. Lisbon, and Eureka lemons are the varieties which arc grown for commercial purposes in the Tauranga district. Tl is no exaggeration to say that citrus growing will give the best monetary returns of any branch of fanning, and a well-eared for ami fully matured grove .should return from tilth) to C2AO per acre on the ruling prices of to-day. Lemons are sold by the bushel case, and in well devolojicd orchards the trees average from five to six ’bushels, ;| nd instances are recorded of trees in this distriet yielding up to fifteen bushels each. These, like the high-producing cows, arc the ones to so lev t buds trout. Bud selection is now one of the particular aims of the Citrus Association, so that, production may he brought up to the highest standard by growing only trees of the high-producing capacity. The whole of the output from the Tauranga citrus groves is picked green l<> a standard size, and shipped to Auckland where it is graded, cured and distributed to markets all over New Zealand. That the produce is of high quality is proved by the fact that laurangu lemons are worth more on the market at times than the lemons imported from California. It i.s worth noting that in a citrus grove lemons can bo marketed all the year round, the picking of the fruit being earned out. at intervals ranging from tweutyfivo to thirty days. A local grower last year secured the splendid axeugi of ton shillings per ease for his lemons as they left the orchard, and as helore slated on reaching Auckland the fniit is graded, cured and packed lor distribution throughout New Zealand. If the citrus industry in New Zea-

land i\ ni attain the importance to which it is entitled more groves must he planted, and growers must have' an assurance from the Government that the “'dumping’’ of citrus fruit from cut.- idc null not be p c r - nutted. If the Tauranga district is to attract and maintain population, one of the best means to achieve that end is by everyone combining with a view to having more trcc.s planted and in urging on the legislators that everything possible should he done to protect. the citrus industry, conditional on the fruit being sold in the Dominion al a fair price. .In the Tauranga district lemon trees when well cared for, commence hearing in about five years, lint do not reach their maximum profit until about ten years old. Lupin i.s the principal cover crop, hut vetches, field pens, ami Boyd’s clover are also grown for a .similar purpose. The cultivation of the “pool-man” orange is a profitable branch of citrus culture. The lime, another of the citrus family, thrives well. Generally speaking the citrus fruits in the Tauranga district aro fairly free from disease and pests, and the cost of keeping the trees in a healthy and thriving condition is not heavy. The citrus grower, however, like all men on the land, must he a worker, and hi.s returns- will to a large extent depend upon his own energies, (if late years the number of trees in hearing has considerably increased. The output of local groves is growing each 'ear and the monetary results of late have been such as to leave the grower a fair return for his labour. It can honestly he claimed that no area in New Zealand offers belter prospects lor citrus culture than the littoral zone between Tauranga and Kaliktai, and it the authorities extend the necessary consideration to this industry it promises to develop! into one ol the best propositions in the Bav ol Plenty. ’Douht mav arise in the minds of some as to -whether the industry might not be overdone. It may he. hut that seems hardly probable in- view ol the fact that, local growers cannot hilly supply the Auckland market alone during the summer mouths.

No part of the Dominion so admirably adapted for Citrus fruit growing, and confidently anticipated Industry will develop into one of considerable magnitude