The Dunstan Times. “Fiat justitia ruat coelum,“ MONDAY, JANUARY 15th 1906. The Fruit Growing Industry

Dunstan Times, Issue 2317, 15 January 1906, Page 4

The Dunstan Times. “Fiat justitia ruat coelum,“ MONDAY, JANUARY 15th 1906. The Fruit Growing Industry

In the course of an interview with an Otago Daily Times reporter on the pros, pects of the season’s fruit crop, Mr A. Moritzson, of the well-known firm of Montzson ami Co, waxes very eloquent over the prevailing conditions in respect to fruit culture in Central Otago. On this subject Mr Moritzson said “ lie had just returned from a tour through the fruit-growing region in Otago, having visited every orchard from Millers Flat to Coal Creek, and from Alexandra through Earnscleugh Flat onwards as far as Clyde Mr Moritzson found all the orchards, without exception, in a very high state of cultivation. Thanks to the many visits of Mr Blackmore, the Government Pomologist, fruitgrowers generally ap. pear to have realised the advantage and grolit to be derived from systematic cultivation and spraying as a safeguard against the ravages of the insect pest. As a natural consequence, fruit trees in the districts visited by Mr Moritzson were found to bo clean and healthy, carrying in most orchards exceptionally heqvy crops of choice fruit. There was no sign of blight, fungus, or leaf-curl, and with one or twp small exceptions the crop as a whole promises to he fully equal, if not superior, to that of last season. The exceptions j elerred to apply to several small orchards

in the Roxburgh district, where the small birds played havoc with the fruit buds and blossom before the fruit had sot. So complete was their destruction that on a large number of trees there was absolutely so sign of fruit whatever, a result solely due to feathered pests, of which the sparrow was perhaps the worst oliender. Mr Moritzson was delighted with the progress made by settlers on the newly acquired Moa Flat Estate. Settlers were pushing on the work of cultivation with the utmost vigour, fruit culture coming in for a good share of attention. Everything looked spick and span, with promise of a bountiful harvest. The orchards in Alexandra and Clyde districts looked at their best, and many of them were erstwhile barren wastes their present profusion is conclusive evidence of what can be produced by irrigation in the districts referred to. So engrossed did Mr Moritzson become whilst on this theme that his genial face fairly glowed with enthusiasm. “ Mr Shcehy's orchard in the Clyde gorge was a really magnificent sight,” said Mr Moritzson. “ Others worthy of more than passing notice were those of Messrs R. Dawson, William Noble, James Bodkin, Ah Wye and Lye Bow, and unless one has actually seen these tine orchards it is difficult to realise what hard work, enterprise, and water can accomplish.” Mr Moritzson’s remarks in regard to the prospects of a.bountiful crop in the. orchards in our immediate neighbourhood will certainly be received with a great deal of reservation by local readers, as orchardists have made no secret of the fact that th e fruit crop will be the poorest experienced for many a year. In fact a number of growers, who in past years were able to send fairly large quantities of their surplus fruit to Dunedin and other markets, will not have a single case to spare this season. Whether the shortage is due to the small birds, as attributed by some, or to the late frosts as ascribed by others, we do not know, but it will be found there plainly enough when the tally of the harvest comes in. As pointed out by Mr Moritzson however, the orchards, even in their present condition, clearly show the possibilities of an apparently barren region when assisted by irrigation. That condition, in most cases, unfortunately for both growers and the inddstry, is scarcely so precise am. clean as he seems to imagine aid is anything but a credit to the teachings of that energetic and capable official, Mr J. C. Blackmore, the Government Pomologist. That gentleman has done his best to encourage orchardists to adopt systematic and business-like methods of fruit. Culture, but the results locally can scarcely have been gratifying to him as only a very small percentage of growers have seen lit to follow the advice tendered them. As Mr Black more himself says of our district—we have the possibilities, but unless more energy and acumen is brought to bear on our orchards and less nonsense written about them, we will never make much of a show in; the fruit commerce of the colony. It is fully recog" nised locally that there is only one of the older orchards that receives the attention necessary to insure successful fruitculture. Th is orchard, though it might easily be extolled as an example to other lews practical growers of the district, has been dismissed by Mr Moritzson with only a very scanty notice, whilst one or two younger growers who are working their properties on orthodox lines have apparently not been visited.