FIREBLIGHT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 280, 10 November 1931, Page 9

FIREBLIGHT

GREYTOWN ORCHARDS AFFECTED APPLES AND PEARS DAMAGED. HAWKE’S BAY REPORTED CLEAR. Masterton, Noy. 7. An outbreak o fireblight, which is said to be serious, has occurred in some of the commercial orchards at Greytown. The outbreak has taken the form of blossom infection and has a disastrous effect on the pear and on the Delicious and Ballarat apple crops. Steps are being taken to combat the disease. Mr. W. T. Goodwin, of the head office of the Horticultural Division, and Mr. Whelan, instructor for the Wellington province, have spent several days investigating the outbreak. At a meeting of the Wairarapa Fireblight Committee, Mr. Goodwin impressed upon those present the necessity of locating the immediate source of infection. The committee is making a levy to procure funds to pay the inspectors to assist Mr. Whelan in his work. An inspection will begin on January 18 and all trees infected with disease of any kind will be eradicated. it is stated that practically every orchard area in the North Island is infected with fireblight this season. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. The attention of the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. D. Jones, was called to an outbreak of fireblight in the Wairarapa district, by Colonel T. W. McDonald (Vovt., Wairarapa), in an urgent question when the House met yesterday afternoon. Colonel McDonald asked whether the Minister was aware of the disastrous effect the prevalence of fireblight was having on Wairarapa orchards. He also asked if the Minister would take steps to ensure frequent and regular inspection of orchards in the district with a view to bringing about the speedy arrest and eradication of the pest. The Minister said he knew of the outbreak, winch hau come under the notice of the department some time ago. The outbreak was entirely local, having arisen through one or more cankers having been unobserved, and so undestroyed by orehardists before the new season started. The department was watching the position. NO REPORTS FROM HAWKE’S BAY Interviewed this morning in regard to the two items of news published above, the orchard instructor for Hawke’s Bay authorised us to say that there has been no sign of a fresh outbreak of firebhght this season so far as Hawke’s Bay. is concerned, and that no report of any such outbreak has been received by his Department. “Hawke’s Bay,” he said, “is certainly exempt from the statement regarding the prevalence of fireblight in the whole of the orchard area of North Island.”