GRAPES AND THE FRUIT FLY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 110, 1 February 1908, Page 4

GRAPES AND THE FRUIT FLY.

MR. JOHNS' WRITES TO THE PAPERS.-:1 Mr. 'William' Jbhns;'- who - presided over the recent indignation 'ihecfing of: vjnegrowers at •« Auckland, has (says, our. Auclilanii correspondent) written aji explanatory letter to the local Prcse. -110 saj's the' meeting Vas not against the importation of the fruit itself, although growers of grapes under; glass, who were •. encouraged by tlie Government to . embark in the Industry, have gravo cause'of~ complaint; But . what-they, most dread is thiit tho Mediterranean fruit- fly • may be introduced with the -gropes./.'lts -introduction-.' would render our orchards and vines utterly valueless. "Wo have now- in Npw Zealand," lie adds, "sonjo 30,000 acres under'orchard and vineyard, and tho gross annual value'of their,, products is about a million sterling. When it is considered that,, tliis income is, inVa -great measure, derived. f roni lands . un-, suitable for. other, agricultural, or'pastoral. purposes,- and that it gives employment to somo 6000 growers, -who,' with 'their" families, cannot'number less than .20,000, persons; it ■ will, i .think, .be conceded that it is an industry Worth .fostering.\ <Yet, what do wa \ find ? Whilo tho importers and .consumers —not the fruit-growers—have introduced the codlin moth-and other pests, causing tens of thousands of pounds of loss to growers, theso latter—poor wretches—have to boar the'cost of the pests'/'depredations: and suppression; ■ and now, not content with this grievous in-, jury/consumers still clamour) apparently successfully,' to introduco from the fly-infested districts of Australia 'choap granes,' the rigid inspection .'of which, against- the intro-. diiction of the dreadou fly, is physically ■ impossible. . When' this -fly - onco' olfccts alodgment in our orchards'or vineyards, then - good-byo to all hope of successful cultivation Of fruit, since all prcyiously-importcd pests, bad as they are, pale into; insignificance compared to this one. Growers cannot see how ■ . they should be compelled ,'to supply - consumers with cheap fruit any more than that consumers should supply growers' ivitli'clieap boots, cheap clothing, and cheap vehicles id carry their fruit to: market; The real question that confronts'"us is whether it. is wise to imperil our' own 'fruit industry; now 1 fast/ growing into a great and nhtfonal one, -by drawing a small measure of .supplies from pest-strioken countries to the jeopardy of our own orchards and vineyards,. and to -' the utter ruin of tho hardy settlers who cultivate them." -