FORBIDDEN FRUIT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 101, 1 May 1914, Page 6

FORBIDDEN FRUIT.

NJ3LSON.,.PJBACHE3 IN

CALIFORNIA

OFFICIALS CONDEMN FIRST

SHIPMENT.

StNtERVIEW WITH MR CLIFTON

(Colonist Correspondent).

SAN FRANCISCO, April I. , The trial shipment of, Nelson ;jpeaches to California has been signalised by an unexpected incident at San Francisco. The heavy consignment of New Zealand fruit carried to the Pacific Coast by fbhe jsj.B. Aorangi included some 600 cases, a large percentage being of the femous Nelson peaches and pears. The pears were exceptionally fine, And met with a ready sale, according to the commission firm handling the Bfcw Zealand produce. The peaches, however, were condemned by the quarantine branch of the- California State Horticultural (Jommission, "owing to a mqth found in the peaches that is not known in California." The affected peaches were not destroyed, but were transhipped to (Vancouver. The refusal of entry, for toe Nelson peaches created considerable surprise in San Francisco, the metropolis'of the Pacific Coast. Mr SJOMmund Clifton, newly-appoinited frrade Commissioner representing New--^Zealand in Canada and the fUnited States, with headquarters at S3!an Francisco, when interviewed on the subject, said: "It was at the out-

set recognised that . California is essentially a fruit-producing country, where every possible precaution is demanded. These precautions are legitijmately demanded,... carefully, and zealously applied, 'and no complaint could be advanced on that score. The State provisions afford ample powers to its officers to protect those very great and important interests of the orchardists. "Section 3 of the horticultural statutes of California stipulates that among other things, if there be reasonable cause (to presume that any fruit may be infected or infested and calculated to cause damage, such fruit may be refused entry to the State of California. The great point is that the State officials are provided with plenary powers to deal with any iand all contingencies. California is to be congratulated upon that happy state of affairs, since in some other countries officers frequently find themselves very seriously handicapped inasmuch as they are often tied down to the limi/ts of a schedule in which pests in fruit are definitely named. Beyond that they have no powor to proceed. "In the case of the arrival at San Francisco of the trial shipment of fruit from New Zealand it is not definite that the larval form of the insects that have been detected in the peaches by the State inspectors, seriously or even mildly, is definitely injurious to eating or any other purpose. The California inspector did not advance such a- contention. The presence of -the, insect resulted in tlie peaches being refused landing at San Francisco. Ttn regard to classifying the insect,' "the State officials nave

placed certain specimens under conditions that will permit ot pupation and thereby obtained identification ot the variety in question. _ "Apart from that, the New Zealand! peaches were of. excellent quality and in good condition. Some were opened by the inspectors, but the few diseased specimens were easily detected, as the imperfections were indicated by the perforations caused by the insect making its entry into the fruit. . "The difference obviously is that although the fruit has gone to Vancouver it is recognised that up to rthe present time the interests of the orchardists are not so dominating as in the State of California, where the orchard is practically the paramount industry. . " , „ "In the trial shipment there were 193 cases of peaches, approximating about 10,000 pounds in weight. These are simply trial shipments to test the temper -of the market of California, the idea being thatf; as the seasons of New Zealand and California are exactly opposite^ to time the arrival of the New Zealand peaches in San Francisco at this period of the year the Antipodean fruit would meet with a ready and satisfactory sale. "Except for ithe peaches, the trial shipment was an undoubted success. Quality and condition on arrival were excellent. It is advisable to state that the importation of fresh fruit, such as pears, and peaches, should only come into California during the off season of the year, when the local fruit is not obtainable in California. New1 Zealanders would be limited to a period extending over only three months—March, April, and May, iand more probably only March and April. New Zealand could not, with financial advantage, participate in the Californian markets iver that period, but it is positive that |the Antipodean fruit may be welcome in the three months mentioned. - '

"New Zealand receives from California during New Zealand's off season a very considerable importation of similar, fruits, which meet with ready sale at satisfactory prices. This importation is so firmly established that ' ;the New Zealand consumer looks forward to receive California's -feu-it when that of his own country is not on the market..',..'..' ;,? '

■/Cqnse^uently ; iihe _ develciphient of niutuatl trading is to be commenctetl. New Zealand fruit should prove a welcome addition to /the American markets owing to the scarcity of local produce at that period.

% "The peaches in the trial shipment to San Francisco were sent solely on New Zealand's initiative, and came from a district that has lately developed very rapidly in the orcharding interest. That district is called Nelson, in ;the northern paijb of the South Island, and the soil and climate lend themselves very favorably for this class of fruit production. Nelson district is fortunate in having farmers and fruit-growers who have been trained in the methods that have proved so successful in California."

Fruit experts are devating much attention in Califorina to lfche larval form in the New Zealand peaches, and the consensus of opinion is that the form probably / developed or appeared since the shipment of the fruit at Wellington., It was authoritatively stated that grea(t cam had been exercised by the growers in the selection and packing of ithis particular consignment of fruit, and it was declared quite certain 'that no diseased fruit would, be knowingly permitted |to be exported. It is not only possible, but highly probable, that the larval form of this insect appeared subsequent to the^ packing and shipping of the iuritfi as the trip across the Pacific Ocean covered a# least 28 days. When the identification of tjie insect is possible, it is stated that it may not be seriously detrimental. •