TELEGRAMS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 123, 25 May 1908, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

FRUIT-GROWING POSSIBILITIES. IN POVERTY BAY AND BAY OF PLENTY. [Bt Telegraph. — Special to The Post 1 AUCKLAND, This Day. The possibilities of the Bay of Plenty district for the culture of fruit weie dwelt upon by Mr. W. A. Boucher, Government pomologist, in the course of an interview. While at Gisborne Mr. Boucher saw some splendid late crops of apples still hanging on the trees and practically; free from moth. These apples will realise 3d per lb. to the grow er, showing how profitable the cultivation of the apple is. In view of the fact thufc the Gisborne climate is excellently adapted for the culture of fruits in general, the Government pomologist regards it as a matter for regret that the industry is not taken up with greater enthusiasm and more largely developed. This apathy he regards as being largely due to the want of shipping fatuities available in the Bay of Plenty districts. The repeated handling of perishable pioducts at present involved in lightering from the wharf at Gisborne to bteamers in the roadstead is not conducive to tho fruit reaching the market in the best possible condition, apart altogether from the additional charges involved. "Furthermore," said Mr. Boucher, "the Poverty Day district grows splendid apricots, which fruit, afi is well known, does not adapt itself to many localities, yet in Poverty Bay the fruit crops heavily and is of fine quality. For instance one apricot grower this- season received between 22s and 23s per case of 181bs weight for bis early apricots. This, I think, is a record which it will be very hard to beat. Peaches also grow splendidly in Poverty Bay, and as the industry progresses will no doubt be more largely planted. Tho land vaLues around Gisborne, "continued Mr. Boucher, "are such that considerable annual leturns per acre must be looked for in order to clear a reasons ble profit from an investor's point of vie >v, and the profit from fruit is now conceded to be greater than that derivable from any other agricultural pursuit."