THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 126, 4 June 1910, Page 3

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

-^~ STOKE FRUITGROWERS' ASSOCIATION.

The monthly meeting of the Stoke Fruitgrowers' Association was held in the Stoke Hall on Friday evening last (says the Nelson Mail). A fair number of members were present, and the President occupied the chair. SPRAYING FOR WOOLLY APHIS. An interesting discussion took place on sprays for woolly aphis. The secretary and Mr Allport were enthusiastic on the result of resin and soda. After using many other sprays with little benefit they found that one good dressing with the resin and soda (51bs of each to 30 gallons of water) completely killed the blight. Mr Izard. said that he thought by spraying the above-mentioned strength when the fruit was on the trees, and using 61bs ; of resin and 6lbs of soda and 30 gallons of water, after the" fruit was j picked, the blight could be completely kept in check. This information should be of interest to growers throughout the district, as the woolly aphis is one of the worst apple blights. / Mr McMurtry showed an interesting exhibit in the shape of a branch j of hawthorn badly affected by woolly j aphis. It had been thought that this blight attacked nothing but apple, trees. LEVIN STATE FARM. Members were greatly interested in j Mr Izard's account of a recent visit \ to the State Farm at Levin. After; telling of the difficulty he had in finding the farm (which is a good distance from the township, with nothing to direct intending visitors), Mr Izard said the fruit section was evidently badly neglected. By some strange freak of management the whole of the orchards in the Dominion are under the control of Mr I. W. Kirk, with the exception of those on the State Farms, which are under the control of the chief inspector of stock, who naturally doesn't take much interest in fruit, and consequently the orchards have to take a back seat. The land is _splendid for pear growing, but not so good for other fruit. All the trees are pruned on the pyramid style, which enables them to

; carry a far larger crop of fruit than' those trained on the vase shape; but though this suits pears, well, it is not so good for apples. The fruit does not get sufficient sun to colour well. The apple trees, Mr Izard said, were covered with scale. He also saw a . row of trees which had been sprayed the former season with lime and sulphur for red spider. These were absolutely free from this pest, while the . unsprayed trees were badly affected. THE PAPAROA'S APPLES. A good deal of discussion took place with regard to the apples sent to London. Some growers thought that after sending an expert to Tasmaniato see fruit picked and packed, the Government officials should have been more emphatic as to the fruit being picked on the green side. It was evident to those who saw the fruit on the wharf that a good deal of it was far too ripe, and some was soJSadly packed that there was fully two inches of space at.the top of the case. i The general opinion seemed tot/be^ howler,^ that taking everything into ' consideration the prices were quite aa good as could be expected, and the fact that Stunners (which seemed at the %ime of shipment to be on© of the least likely varieties), brought 10s » case, was a. proof that we are in a . good position for supplying the Home i markets when once the necessary ex- | perience has been gained as to when j to pick and how to pack. J One of those present stated thai he had kept a case of Jonathans packed at the same time as those which he i shipped Home, and, on opening them I a day or two ago, he found them in splendid condition and perfectly sound. This proves that conditions in ! cool storage during the voyage mast I be very different from those here.