FRUIT CULTURE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14902, 16 February 1914, Page 3

FRUIT CULTURE.

POTENTIALITIES OF BA>~KS

PENINSULA

A PEACH-PRODUCING DISTRICT.

(FKOif OUR SrECTAX. BETOP-TEB-) AKAROA. February 15. Tho potentialities of Banks Peninsula as a fruit-producing centre were recently brought under the notice of tho Canterbury Fruit-growers' Association, and to enable tho members to see for themselves, a week-end trip to Akaroa was arranged by Mr \\. J. Courtier, the Government orchard instructor. A large party, some thirty in all.- comprising members of tho association and others, left Chnstchurch on Saturday morning and arrived at Akaroa in tho afternoon. Included m the party were Mr F. Sisson.. president of tne association, and -Mr Courtier. T/io visitors were met by the Mayor of Akaroa (Air ti. Armstrong ami other gentlemen, and yesterday, afternoon and again to-day wero shown ronnd several orchards. in tilt* old days, in tuo timo of tho French settlers. Akaroa was a great iruit-pro-ducing district. Particularly was it lanious for its cherriws. Who haa not heard of Akaroa cherries J , Other fruit also flourished,, particularly those of tho stono variety. In theso early days there was a large export trade, shipments going as rar a-s Dunedin, bxit from several causes the shipments fell off. Scientific methods of fruitgrowing were hardly known, and people turned their attention to the more lucrative pursuits of grazing and dairying, and fruit rotted on the trees. Tho orchards became neglected, and finally disease came on the scene and checked tho trees, with disastrous results, Jicitco tho explanation for the many charming. picturesque, and neglected orchards that are to bo found in tho French town these days. To crown everything, tho codlin moth made its appearance. But there were those who. remembering the early days, and seeing tho potentialities of tho soil. uvA noting the mild climate and sheltered aspect of Akaroa, were confident, with proper methods, that Akaroa could become again a great producing centre. Mr Courtier was firmly of the opinion that fruits of the etone variety could be successfully produced. Several of the people in Akaroa bestirred themselves, and spraying operations wero systematically carried out. Tho result is that the pest is practically now non-ex-istent in the township, as also is the red spider, and certain varieties of fruit are in such a healthy condition as to arouse unstinted admiration on the part, of the visiting growers. It was freely admitted yesterday that no grower in Christchurch could produce such healthy-looking peaches as wero to be seen in several of the orchards of Akaroa. At present thero aro no commercial growers in Akaroa. on a large scale. The demand for fruit is limited to the town; thero is no export. Tho opinion formed by tho Christchurch growers is that, subject to certain exceptions, a lucrative export trado could be established by growers in Akaroa in regard to stone'fruits, particularly peaches and apricots.. Apples and pears, however, would not pay. Let mc analyse tho wholo position. In tuo early days of the season, when tho fruit on tho Canterbury Plains is unripe, and the supplies to hand are necessarily scarce and expensive, it pays the Nelson growers, with their early supplies, to ship consignments to Chnstchurch. despite the cost of transit. Christchurch also has to depend at these times on supplies from Centr.il Otago. Now Akaroa, owing to its sunnj', sheltered aspect, can produce certain varieties of. fruit as early as Nelson and Central Otago, fruit, moreover, that is claimed to be infinitely superior to the Nelson and Central Otago varieties. The transit question is, however, stated,to be a stumbling; block, -the transit either by road or sea., eating up.the profits. Mr Courtier, however, - informs mc that in Central Otago fruit, .is carted.- .for twenty or twenty-five miles over far rougher roads than ■ those in Banks Peninsula before it reaches the railway, and a few years back the distance was sixty miles. Another deterrent to commercial fruit-growing in Hanks Peninsula is the heavy .price of Jajid., but as the Mayor of Akarna pointed out at a dinner to the visiting- growths Inst night, it was essential that jn order to increase the producton of tho district the population must be increased, and with ' it * there tntiet' ' bo smaller allotments... of land, for each holder. It . would be then that commercial fruit-growers, with their small allotments, would come in handy. • Moreover, ' there were many waste places on the _ sides "of the hjlls> which could be utilised. Thero is no doubts tnai there are many pocket.s on the hillsides,, of little, use for other purposes, which could be successfully transformed into orchards. The visiting growers have come to tho conclusion that it is of little use growing apples or other pip fruits in the district for the Christchurch market. The pip fruit, in the district is of none too healthy a.variety, and with the transit charges ii would have no hope of competing against this class of fruit on the plains, which is produced close to the city's doors. But in regard to peaches, apricots, and cherries, there is a splendid opportunity, not only on account of the superiority of the fruit to the Christchurch production, but also on account ol" its earlier arrival. The reason for the thriving appearance of the stone fruit on the Peninsula is stated to be due to the dry nature of the soil. "Walnuts also thrive well on the Peninsula, but their extinction is prophesied, disease having made its appearance in many trees. Devoting his attention exclusively to peaches, apricots, nectarines, and cherries, a man could, with ordinary luck, make a comfortable living out of two acres of orchard at Akaroa —this is the -opinion'arrived at by many of the Christchurch growers. Plums are plentiful on the Peninsula, and thrive well, but the opinion is expressed that the growing of them would not be a profitable commercial venture. A variety of plum-growing in many orchards on the Peninsula is the Satsuma, A.P., a Japanese fruit. Jt is blood red in appearance, and possesses a taste peculiarly like beetroot. Mr Courtier has tio douuts , whatever as to the potentialities of the Peninsula as a fruit-growing district, particularly •in regard to stone varieties, and in proof of this contention he mentioned to the writer that in one of the bays large, luscious oranges Mere being "•rown. Ho also considers that tomatocrowing could become a successful venture. Early crops could be produced which could'successfully compete in the ChrLstchurch market with the coarse specimens which arrive from Nelson, and which are co dear. Mr Courtier believe-, that in a very short space or timeßanks Peninsula could supply the whole of the Canterbury province with fruit, .and when the Midland Railway \vas completed, the West Coast as well. At Akaroa Mr Courtier has established an experimental fruit acre on son which is inferior to much of that to ./e found in the district, and trees planted by him some months ago are doing very well. ~ The visiting fruit-growers, when not inspect ins orchards, are being royally entertained. Last nisrht the Mayor entertained them at a dinner, this morning they were taken tor a cruise Tound the harbour, and this afternoon they were .shown over the borough electriclighting plant.