FRUITGROWING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16493, 7 March 1914, Page 12

FRUITGROWING.

TO TUB EDITOR. Sir, —I was much interested in Mr Nottage’s remarks published in your Monday’s issue, with reference to certain statements made by Mr Ivory about fruitgrowing and its possibilities. Mr Nottago questioned a statement regarding the extra price American buyers are paying for New Zealand apples—ls to 2s 6d per case more than for Tasmanian-grown fruit. Mr Ivory in his letter in reply to that of All Nottage omitted to reply to that gentleman’s statement that no preference was given to New Zealand fruit on the score of quality. As this is a matter of interest and importance I trust you will allow me to give substantial evidence in support of Mr Ivory s claims. In the last issue of the “New Zealand Farmer ” (the official organ of the Federation of Fruitgrowers) is a repqit of a meeting of nurserymen and fruitgrowers just held in Auckland, at which were present T. W,. Kirk (head of the Orchards Division) and other leading experts:— . “Mr T. Horton, of Hastings, said they already found that in South America New Zealand apples were preferred to those from any other part of tho world. During a recent visit to tho Argentine an importer told him that he could get Tasmanian apples at 5s a case, and obtain as many as he wanted. That immediately raised the question of why New Zealand fruit should not obtain better prices, and he (-he sneaker) ultimately secured an order for 200,000 cases per annum for tho next five years at 6s 6d per case. He considered that the price obtained was a really good one, but they had no hopes of executing the order for the next two years. He had circularised practically every fruitgrowing association, every big grower, telling them that if they liked to ship he could guarantee 6s 6d a case f.o.b. at Wellington. Ho honed they would be able to ship 150.000 cases next year and the full number the following year. Since he had secured that contract seven shillings a case had been offered, and ono man, a Dunedin merchant, had been offered seven shillings a case for 10.000 cases. Nevertheless, he believed that when lie got tho order at 6s 6d he had laid the foundations of a better price in the Argentine. ‘ltis a grand thing to know that the apples grown' in New Zealand, for texture, colour and quality, surpass anything they get from Canada, Tasmania or any other part of the Southern Hemisphere,’ declared Mr Horton, amid applause. In conclusion, the speaker advocated the limiting of the different varieties grown to those of proved commercial value, as advocated by the reader of the paper, and declared that if that were done fruitgrowers would find that they were producing just what the markets of tho world wanted.” I think that there is absolutely no doubt of the correctness of the above, so what grounds can Mr Nottage have for his statement, which is only on a par with his other remarks so ably replied to bv Mr Ivory? Presumably Mr Nottage' is referring to the price obtainable for fruit from his own particular district, Nelson. —T am, etc., JONATHAN.