FROST DAMAGE TO FRUIT

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 34, 4 November 1937, Page 2

FROST DAMAGE TO FRUIT

Accurate Assessment As

Yet Impossible

By Telegraph-—Press Association. Dunedin. November 2.

Reports that recent frosts in the Ettrick fruit-growing district have caused serious losses to growers were not substantiated in all quarters from which inquiries were made to-night. It is true that the loss is estimated by Mr. D. Leslie, chairman of the Provincial Fruit-growers’ Council, at nearly 60 per cent., and that other growers are said to share his opinion, but it was authoritatively stated at Roxburgh to-day that the general view expressed at a meeting of growers was that a good crop of fruit would be obtained in this district The opinion was also held that if any damage had been done its extent would not be known for three weeks.

“There is nothing to be gained by adopting an alarmist attitude until the time has elapsed when a definite assessment of damage can be gauged,” stated Mr. G. H. Mclndoe, Government orchard instructor, who has just returned from a visit to Central Otago. “The whole-position is too uncertain to quote definite losses yet and for that reason it is impossible to forecast with any degree of accuracy the extent to which individual growers have been affected.”

Though a large percentage of fruit blossom at Ettrick and Beaumont showed definite signs of frost injury, Mr Mclndoe said, it should be pointed out that under normal orchard routine a large part of the fruit which matured from the blossom would in any case be taken off when thinning. Though it might seem rather too much to hope for, the fruit spoilt by the frost might conceivably prove to be the equivalent more or less of what would be taken off the tree in the normal processes of thinning. The losses to Sunnyvale orchardists might prove to be severe and the same could be said of the Beaumont district, but until there was an indication of the frosted blossom ceasing to develop or dropping it was useless to attempt to estimate possible losses.