FRUIT REGULATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 210, 29 May 1908, Page 4

FRUIT REGULATIONS.

• ~ . : «— — RIGID INSPECTION 01? IMPORTATIONS. (BY IBLECRArn.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, May 27. On Monday last tho new fruit regulations came into force, under which all importations from Australia and the Islands will bo subjoct to the most rigid inspection, and henceforth all fruit must bo accompanied by a "clean", certificate, othorwiso it will not be delivered to tho consignees. , Mr." J. B. Tonar, secretary of 1 tho Waitern at a Fruitgrowers' Association, informed a Press representative to-day that tho'now regulations wore lioartiiy approved by the local orchardists, who are in mortal dread of tho introduction of. the fruit fly. This fly, ho. points out, is not' liko the ordinary pest, for if it once gets a hold it will, annihilate tho whole industry. Tho only safe way to keep our orchards immune, in his opinion, is to_ debar shipments from ports whero tho pest is known, to exist. "Only'the other day," said Mr. Tonar, "I had a New South Wales grower in my office, who informed mo that there was not a peach in his orchard which had riot been reduced to a.rotteii pulp as a result of tho' prevalence of tho fruit' tly. At all ;costs,' if tho industry is to; bo preserved in Now Zealand, wo must keop out this dread pest, and I know many growers in the Auckland provinco who are refraining from tho cultivation of peaches becauSo of tho fear that tho fruit, fly may bo introduced. 1 Fortunately Australia and Tasmania, from whence we import most of our; fruit, are fairly free of the pest, so tlmt tho result of tho regulations will only bo drastic in so far a3 they affect New South Wales and Victoria "