THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 657, 6 November 1909, Page 15

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

, »- Address by mr. boucher. wanted: organised distribution The mam feature of the final sitting of the IWt-gionert>' Conference jestcrday was an address on several aspects of tho fruit mdn.try by Mr. W. A. Boucher, Government pomblogist. Mr. F. Sisson (Canterbury) presided. Mr Doudher said that people often asked why fruit-growing was not 60 advanced in the Dominion as in some parts of Australia. There was a tiine in tho past when fruit pests woro not known in this country. This was followed by a period when they were introduced, and multiplied so rapidly that some mdh despaired of keeping thorn undor control, and some oven now were under the impression that the pests could not be controlled by any moans that would'afford a profit over expenditure. It was largely duo to this causo that fnut-growing had been retarded. He had oftcri been told that it was impossible for orchardisfs to control the pests and gro* at a profit He saw no fear of the n kets being glutted. Tho frnit-growine industry seomed to him the »■ safest branch of farming a man could go jfl for. Apples had been sold at a penny a pound m Auckland at mid-season, and peaches at 3d. per case, when they ought to have been plentiful. Tho market was not glutted, nor likely to be, if taken in hand in a proper manner. The fruit-growers in California had an excellent system of regulating supplies to meet the conditions of tho market. Tho extensive strawberry gardens outside Los Angeles would absolutely fail were it not for arganIsation in regard to supplying the market They kept a man in tho city on a good commission, lit made over JBIOOO ft year, and his business was to place on the city market such quantities as no know would givo a good return to tho growers each day. Tho rest went to tho canning factories, and tho return from tho higher priced city markets was distributed pro rata among tho shippers As an instance of the want of such methods in New Zealand, the Hawke's Bay Fruit-growers' Association, which was the best organised in New Zoaland, had, on one occasion, no proper arrangements for distribution of its late crop of peaches, and, consequently when tho market was nearly starring for peaches, tho Hawka'b Bay growers wero spreading them on thu ground to rot. The fruit-growers should have an agent to control the output in each of the four chief cities, and there should be cool storage chambers to whioh he could send surplus fruit. A large percentage Of tho apples and pears growri in New Zealand could bo successfully stored in cool charabfi!*, but the cool storage of soft finite would scarcely ba practicable on a commercial seals m Now Zealand for a considerable time to come. The canneries were not being supplied with anything llko tho quantity of apples, pears, and peaches they required Tho oanmng mdusliy nas only ]iist being started, and then there was tho export tiade, but the local markets should bo their first care. Some growers were already planting export varieties. There was an English firm prepared any season to buy 20,000 cn'-cs of frnit, but there Was no supply coming forward. There was a large oxport trade to bo done in the future. Tho Orchards Division was testing different preparations of arsenate of lead, but had no reason as yet to alter its recommendation on tho subject. Experiments wero also being made with spraying oils and other compounds,' It was best for tho growers to leave thi experimenting to the Department They could see trees at tile stations that had been injured by experiments, but h6 was not ashamed of that, because otherwise tho orchardists might have lost many more trees 110 would have liked the delegates to visit tho Wereroa, .Experiment Farm,, where they, could see some examples of summer pruning— a practice which deserved ovory considcratttm. Mr. E. B. bird (Stoke) expressed himself in favour 1 of organisation of supply, fin similar lines to tlioso advocated by Mr. Donchcr, but thought tho cxponso would be an obstacle. , , , Mr J Bennetts (Teviot) said ho had no donbt that such a scheme of marketing, as Oujhncd bv Mr. Bourhcr, would come about He expressed high appreciation of Mr. Boucher's address and of the work done bj tho Department of Agiichlturo in the interests oi the iruit-growing industry. A hearty voto of thanks to Mr. Boucher for his address was carried unanimously. Mr. Boucher, in responding, said that his duties would in future extend over the South Islrnd, as well as tho North, and he hoped shoitly to gn through thp fruitgrowing di* h-iUS in thW„ ( island'auil;'becomo porSßpajly acquainted \VSIi Hhfl I YroVersT wl *> -f / Tho chairman said lie was very glad to hear that tho South Island waß to have the advantage of Jhe _ services of so capable an officer. ' '

DCPUTATIONS TO MINISTERS.

■ RAILWAY PREIQETS. The Minister for Railways (Hon, J. A. Millar) did n«t glvo much encouragement to tHo fruitgrowers In their racjUost for improved facilities fqr the transport of fruit, A deputation from the Fruitgrowers' Conference (introduced by Mi. G. Wiity, MP) waited upon, tho Minister yes*-eiday, and asked him tq m6titnte a systoni of thiftligh booking from anj 1 station to any other station in either island; therato to cover all charges. A sihedulo of freight rates and conditions was submitted. "If you cjo prepared to pay for it,' said the Minister in reply. "I am quite pi'opared to give if to you," At'present (he continued) the railways were carrying frmt at a loss, so that the growers had a bigger ehance of getting an increase in rates than a reduction. Ho could not carry fruit 427 milos at wGl,a tpn, t nt suggested. Why did not, tho growers combino and sell dueot to tho consumers? He ivas qnito prepared to try niirt arrange with tho Union Company for a through rate, but it was nbt going to ba a reduced rate, as'far nfl he know, He could not reduce either the rate or the terminal charges. On the railways fruit was being earri'd at sixpence a case for any distance If the growers weie prepared tjphy the Union Company what the latter said it would carry foT, they could havo tho system, hut the railways wero not going to suffer for it Experimental Plots. The deputation waited upon tho Hon. T. Mackenzie (Minister for Agriculture), who gave a sympathetic reply to their representations in regard to improved transport facilities, and advised them to approach tho Union Steam Ship Company and the Harbour Boards Tn regard to a grant in aid of tho publication of a report of the late conference in pamphlet form, tho Minister thought it could not bo done, but would look lAto the matter. Ho considered that co-operative o£periments in fruitgrowing would be moro useful than Ihe establishment of an experimental fruit station in the South Island. If the association!! would find reliable men who would give and tend an acre of orchard ground, the Department ivould supply trees and manures, and would got from the growers an estimate of the co-it Of the labour If tho Department contributed half .the cost of tho laboui, he thought they would do very well. He could not promise to cohtribnte half tho cost of labour; that would depend on what it came to Thoy did not par anything for the work on other experimental plots that were conducted on the same system. He wanted to encourage the fruitgrowing industry oa llnw that would not i cost eo 'much as ttrperimental farms,