THE FRUIT DISPLAY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 163, 12 June 1939, Page 9

THE FRUIT DISPLAY.

TREND OF POPULARITY. “The wav the fruit is benched at the Manawalu Show, to my mind is a very much improved system when compared with that adopted at most horticultural and agricultural and pastoral fixtures,” remarked Mr 'l'. If. Horton, the judge of the fruit. “Here the display is arranged in a square block with terraces on each side, and every plate can he handled •and inspected without trouble. Another point of note is that the height of the terracing is only four inches, this meaning that there is an unbroken line of fruit rising away from the spectator to the highest point in the benching. To have the terraces higher is to bring too much vacant space into the view. I think this system was adopted as the outcome of a suggestion 1 made, and follows the procedure I adopted when I was making big displays of fruit. “Among the new fruit types—although there is not much that can be said on this point—there is the Frimley Beauty which I raised at Frimlev, Hastings, after years of experimenting. It is a. cross between the Rome Beauty and the Jonathan and embodies tlie dessert qualities of the Jonathan with the long keeping and hard skin features of the Rome Beauty. Actually, it took the first prize hero for dessert apples. A pleasing feature is that it is gaining in popularity day by day. “Consideration of trends in popularity in apple types leads mo to think of the time when a Bornological Board was set- up by the Government (f was a member of the hoard) with the idea of suggesting to commercial growers the varieties they should grow for export. At that time there were scores of varieties and it was important that, for export purposes, those should he reduced to as low a minimum as possible. After it long period has passed it is noticeable, and must l>o very

gratifying to those who made the rc- ][ commendations, that the varieties , chosen have become the principal ones .’ in the export trade to-day. There are !_ five or six main ones and these were recommended by that Pomologieal Board. *r “A feature of this exhibition is that i there is a new exhibitor showing 1 apples with great success —Atr Michael Gustine. of Aramoho, Wanganui. r The first prize in cookhig apples and the first award in- the Jonathans have gone to this exhibitor and the entries are perfect examples. The cooking * apples are beautiful —all you need to do is to wipe the dust off them and tliev have a glorious ble<rn, showing (hat they are full of juice—right to the skin. “New exhibitors come in from time to time, and after several shows learn the finer points of exhibiting and show improvements which bring them into gratifying positions. Those who wore amateurs some time ago a.re steadily working into the categorv of professionals. and the standard is exceedingly high.”