FRUIT GROWING IN NEW ZEALAND.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 75, 31 March 1910, Page 3

FRUIT GROWING IN NEW ZEALAND.

SOME COMPARISONS. [»T TELEGRAPH — SPECIAL TO THE POST.] DUNEDIN, This Day. "What ar,e tho prospect* of the truit market during the coming winter!" asked a reporter of a leading salesman, »r.d he replied thus : "The prospects are rosy. There has been a very heavy gathering of both apples and pears, anJ the low prices ruling up to the preaent have caused many of the chief growers to keep back the fruit in the hope of better prices later on. They are not content to take Id and lid per lb for dessert fruite. Australian growers seem to be willing at all times to accept. Id and l^d for such apples as ribston pippins, Cleopatra, Cox's orange pippin, French crab*, winter-growing, and ccdlins, but New Zealand growers always •ipect at least od as the season advances. As theie is such a plentiful crop this year, however, it is quite likely that these prices may not be obtained, more especially in view of the fact that there is a large exportable surplus in Tasmania. It i 3 quite a 'gamble' on the part of our own orchard people whether tbev get their valuo or not. The same may be said about pears. Pear-growing is not making the headway that it should. Far too many early varieties are being grown, and in many instances the Williams variety as grown in Canterbury is hardly recognisable alongside the same fruit grown in Australia, ours being destitute of tho sweet flavour. Greater areas should be planted in the late varieties of pears that always realise excellent rates. It is curious that New Zealand cannot compete with Australia in fruit considering the heavy duty. Beautiful grapes can be bought in Melbourne for 2d and 3d in tht season, magnificent peaches at 2d and 3d — the same class of fruit that we would be asked 5d and 6d for here— and large pineapples that command 8d in Dunedin «in be got from the barrowb there at from 2d to 4d."