NEW ZEALAND'S ORCHARDS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 72, 26 March 1909, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND'S ORCHARDS.

APPLES FOR AMERICA. Some New Zealanders are steadil) coming to believe that there is some^ thing in fruit. Each year sees more and more territory covered with trees that are a glory in the springtime and a ricn treasure in the summer and autumn. The orchards are expanding afc the i ate of about two hundred acres a year. The total produce now is worth, about £1,000,000 a year, and the refreshing goods are practically all devoted to giving joy to New Zealand palates. Yet the exporting idea is far from dead. An American came to Hawkes Bay some time ago, and planted many, apple trees. His plan is "to catch tha west coast of the United States during that region's "off" season. He hopes. to introduce the Americans to^a much better class of apple than they have reeehed from their own gardens, and he expects to be hanlsomely rewarded for his enterprise. Other growers are also fixing their eyes on foreign markets. Years ago New Zealand took pity upon Rio Janeiro, and sent apples there, at a profit. But the prices obtained in New Zealand advanced so much that growers ceased 'to bother about South. America. The sequel is that Tasmanians find _it worth while to actually send apples to a New Zealand port foi transhipment to Rio Janeiro. Auckland is a place "where the orange blossom blows" to some purpose — and it is a golden tune. A fair quanitity, of oranges is raised — chiefly in the Whangarei district — but it all goes into Auckland mouths. The AucEland oranges could not compete at present in the Southern markets with the imports from the, lslands. The area in tha xs'orth suitable for the culture of ordinary edible oranges is comparatively, limited, but there is a considerable expanse of ground in Auckland and Ha,wkes Bay, where the marmalade variety, or "poor man's orange," can be very successfully grown, and the raising of this fruit is receiving some atni tention.