STATE OF FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 99, 20 January 1908, Page 7

STATE OF FRUIT INDUSTRY.

ROSEMgjppfI,OOK. ' CONTROL OP INFECTED STUFF. • (EI jOOBBBSrojffDBNT.) ' > Auckland, January 19.: - Tho fruit industry, formod-the. subject of; an interview yesterday with Mr. W. A. Boucher, _ .-Mri* Boucher has just r6lllrhod..td:'A'uokJ»nd from* a visit to Hawke's Bay, where ho made -a .caroful inspection |qf -;stha.vaxc}iwrdßi.' - 3?hOkfruit, industry ,in 'jaawko'a ;TBayj* Be W!l3 advancing by leaps arid bounds, and'.on lines that mra thoroughly sound and satisfactory from every jwnt rtfrie»r> $>'T PROGRESSIVE HA.}VKE'S BAY. The commercial orchard! weri; Mr. ■Bolichdt 1 said, thoroughly well worked, -tho pruning, spraying, manuring, and' cultivat-ion-.Jjoing-. earned out an the .manner mort dosired. ' Bio oiitput from tho HafrKo'i" Bav'i district this ! season would, Mr. Boucher beliered, be a record ono. IwouldSFe ,f?: heayy crop. This was troll demonstrated br tlie. fact that, about two and a halfi'taontW; ago, when ho visited the: district,; inclnding; tno 1' rimloy orchard, all- Viands ( ,Wore/ com-.: nioncmg thinning and this Work was .estimated to occiyrnfu'llytno occasion of this last. 1 viiiii all. hands 'wore 1 ' equally bnsr gathering, and l a' heavy crop of practice and ..this would cmP'°y ® largo stair fo£ about three rnonths. Iho canning operations in .Bawke'a.Bay, he added, wore; also ,m'..full' swing' la 1 . very large staff being alrftady. engaged,. with tho : prospect of a further increase as thV'waso'n.' advancoa. .--"v . y 7: ■. • r sati9f aetory progress' is being made in the fruit districts--of the .'Auckland,pro--. rincGj and Auckland city, in conjunction with tno south, fee. v weU. supplied!. this season with apples, pwra, and'Riches,'and, 1 to a lesser extent, with' plums. Tho latter. Oil account of. the unfavourable-climatic con 1 - ' ditions this Besraon, will prove to be rather .1 light crop. It is gatisfeotory to.know' that' tho- condition of the commercial orchards throughout the North Island »hpwa..a marked improvement, ' said*th® 'jjoiHoii«istj*'"-so t-hit■ 'We may hope to have, seism by season, an increased production of, clean, marketable' truit. rhial state of affairs .would undoubtedly DDiiolifc both producer and contttiinwv'b ' I COOL STORAGE AND HANDLING. Mr. Boucher said Ho had considered tho question of cool storage' is ' regard *to "the' fruit industry, and addedLaterwo mav also hope to extendtour sdssoriS bySplacina any of the summer surplus in 1 cool Bt-orago, and crcntufliij fo ra«j look' forward. in l ii hopeful spirit to building, up.#, valuable exporfc trade. - !; '| ; A: *i ■ •/:> . " Do you, think there is any prospect of fruit; becoming cboafwr he was askcd.\ „ **? the v prompt - reply. With tho-increased production,and- better, methods of marketing; I _s.ee no reason why' wo should' not got .much,cheaper -fruit, and, that at no distant;date'."''"/' "" : '"Are the trauiit.; facilities ."'from 'tlm 'oil' factoryP" f™^Qon3umiiagpentres. 1 ' satja- " Tho facilities, themselves aro' not So bad.-' It is tho method of handling that' is unsatis-' Jactory. No might-take-an :oxamp)o from'' California, where tho , fruit -: industry--has ronchcd such a high, stnudard..- Fruit in California is handled with: extreme care.- It is recognised thero ns;a r.aluablo product,' and 0110 that deteriorates very consicforably when it reccires any rough handling or other unnecessary usage in transit. ■- In the Dominion, on tho other hand, to a very largo extent [nut is handled as any ordinary cargo might' ho, with tho result that,..unions it-is picked very much on tho side, and'very! careful y and closely considerable bruising , and deterioration ;>n.• v«W ; .tajie , p|aeo in transit between tho,.orchard and niarkot. It | is to ho hoped that;tho-.timb;.wili; C omo,' and* booh too, when frq>t:, ; wil!: be,-regarded,,hero' as it is 111 California—that .is, "as ono of the most important products ■: of ; t'l» la7id'; which should ho coiiveyed./ram-orchard to consumer : as speedily and as carefully as; possiblo," , disposa£: OF suiiPLus. •' Mr. Boucher further-stated,,that if wo had a summor and autuffln-suqilus woJcould hut it into cool stores fordfoi|rr.jnouth's;Vand the' : soason would be considerably! -lengthened, with profit to the grower and* to''tho-satis! faction of tho consumer.' That cool storage will pay handsomely:.is',cA*idqri<iii(]by. .'{Jib hot , that Mr. Boucher 1 oii "fcho" Auckland wharves somo ago a case of imported apples that cost 15s. to land from Sydney. Fifteen shillings for a caso of apples 1 What must tho price bo to tho consumer? Tho doveWpment of this aspect of tho mdustry Seems' to'=Mr.-Boucher to be an important consideration in- tho futuro ndvanccmont of v '■ Ono of tho principal,dilliculties ; at present ' met with in controlling tho sale of mothinfected fruit is with'hawkers,'' said Mr. Boucher, : JJo.made it .clear that ho did not caro whotbpjr. fruit. was .sold by hawkers or from slidp's,' his', coriccrn being that it should bo free from. diseaso. Each fruit inspector had a largo district to work making it almost imjSriesihlo for tho Inspector to remain any length*'of' timo'in Tiify ono contro. "It is illegal under the Orchard and Garden Pests Act to disposo of any mothinfected fruit in any„,Tyay j) and-jitriS; quite, probable," added tho pomologist, " that tho Dopartinent may find it necessary to tako summary proceedings; against anyono disposing of infected fruit without further preliminary notice." , IV .;

If you aro contnmpjating. removing,, tho .first thing yon_ should do-is -obtain %'Squotation from J. ICeir, 12 Featherston Street. Ho has had many years' oxperienco ,in this class of work, and is in a position to pack,' etoro; and removo any description of furniture. Ho also clears goods through Customs, and despatches jiaokages and parcels to any address in tho world, lelephone, No, HBO. C 566' :