A WARNING

Gisborne Times, Volume LXI, Issue 9771, 31 July 1924, Page 3

A WARNING

- OROHARDISTS MUST REGISTER NURSERIES. PROSECUTION BY ORCHARD INSPECTOR. Orchardists must register their nurseries before trees grown in them can ho sold publicly. This was emphasised by a prosecution in the Police Court yesterday beforo Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., brought by the Government Orchard Inspector (Mr M. Envoy) against Claude Bolton, orchardist of Makaraka, for exposing for sale 50 mixed fruit trees from an unregistered nursery. Mr D. Chrisp who represented defendant pleaded guilty stating that the trees had been sent to the sate by mistake. Tho nursery had now been registered. Mr M. Davey stated that on June 27 last lie had inspected the auction room of Henry Gardner, in Derby street, and had found exposed for sale 50 mixed fruit trees consigned by the defendant for sale. The defendant’s nursery was not registered in compliance with the requirements of the regulations as to the registration of nurseries made under the provisions of the Orchard and Garden Diseases Act, 1908. The object of the registration of nurseries was to prevent tho distribution of disease, particularly with regard to plants of economic value, and nurserymen were required to register their nurseries annually, whan, an inspection by an officer of the Department of Agriculture is made. The regulations required that an application for registration be made to the Director of the Horticultural Division one month previous to any sales being made. Ignorance of the regulations regarding the registration of nurseries could not he pleaded by defendant as lie. had previously made a. breach of tho regulations by offering for sale _at the auction of Malcolm and Co., Gisborne, on August 10, 1920. On that occasion the position had been made quite clear to defendant by interview and correspondence. The Magistrate said that had not the defendant been previously warned ho might have taken a lenient view and dealt with it as a first offence and imposed a nominal penalty but under tho circumstances he could not do so. Defendant would he fined £2 and costs.