THE FRIUT GROPE.

Northern Advocate, 26 April 1921, Page 7

THE FRIUT GROPE.

CONDITIONS AT E.\D OF .MARCH. The Director of liie Horticulture Division of tlie Agricultural Department has received the following reports from his officers regarding the conditions of the fruit crops at the end of ?.r.irch:— Auckland South. —Month very dry throughout. Apples and peare in full supply; largo quantities placed in cool stores. Tomatoes nearly finished: good crops at remunerative prices. Waikato. —Apple?: Picking of mid-sc.r-on varieties proceeding. L'cmon.s: Crops promising well. Nectarines and Poaches: Fnishod. Pears: Crops have turned out v.-ell. Plums: Finished. Tomatoes: CrQps have been heavy; prices fair. Walnuts: Now being gathered. i Poverty Bay.—Apples: An abnormal crop of very fine fruit in mtny orchards wry free from bind; spot;, other orchards, fair crops. Lemons: Good crops comiug forward. Peaches: Good ?rop of late peaches, being realised. Pears: Fair crops of most varieties, very free from spot. Tomatoes: Heavy t crops have been realised; season curtailed owing to prolonged drought. Walnuts: Only fair crops; bac-teriosis pronounced. Ilawkc's Bay.—Apples: Delicious, medium heavy crops now being harvested, a large proportion being oversized fruits; Stunuer, medium crops well advanced, splendid colour and even size>; Dougherty, erop in sight well below ,the average. Pears: Winter Cole, Winter Nelis, and P. Earn' :iow being picked prove to be medium erop; the prolonged dry season has resulted in fruits well below the average size, particularly on the higher lands at Havelock North. A wind -storm on t.he 24th took a heavy toll of P. Barry pears. Nelson. —Apples: The -harves;'".? of early varieties has been completed, and tlie bulk of the erop has been taken from such mid-season sorts -as Dunn's Favourite, Jonathan, Allington Pippin, Cleopatra, and London Pippin; a commencement has been made -with the hr.ivesting of Delicious and Winter ' Peannain. Nectarines and Peaches: | A r fcw fruit? are being gathered. Pears: ; The pear crop gonerallv is of good qual- j ity; the following varieties have been gathered during the month: B our re Bose, Winter Cole, Vicar of Winkfielil, j Elizabeth Cole, Doyenne du Cornice, Josephine de ilalines, and Duchess of D'Angouleme. Plums: A moderate erop has been gathered; the crop of damsons' and Golden Drop plums- has been very fair. Tomatoes: With this month the harvesting of erop from outside plants is about completed. Strawberries: A small autumn erop of Madam Mclba berrie? has been gathered. The sample of fmit generally is bright and firm; the land is on the dry side for :I<is season of the year. ?.fotaeka. —Apples: Early varieties the red; expert work well in hand. Capo Gooseberries: Now* picking. Lemons: Looking well. Pears: Early vavieties harvested; Winter Coles bc- ; ing picked; fair quantity keeping varie- . ties being gathered and prepared for export. Strawberries: Finished. Tomatoes:' Still picking. Walnuts: Being gathered. Colder nights are now being experienced, and signs of autumn approaching.

Canterburj-.—Apples: A pood crop of dessert varieties; very light crop of cooking varieties. On the whole throughout tile district there r> very little black spot. Nectarines: A good crop; now finished. Peaches: A good crop; only late varieties remain to be disposed of. Pears: A good average crop; 'the percentage affected with Jjlack spot is very small. Plums: A good crop; practically finished; brown rot has been slightly" in evidence. Plums (Japanese): A good crop; now finished. Tomatoes: Outdoor, a very c;ood crop. Walnuts: A good crop. 'South Canterbury.—Apples: Wood. Pears: Good. Tomatces: Good. Walnuts: Fair; the season lias been fairly good, but the continued dry weaklier is affecting the size of late varieties, and rain is much needed. Pears and apples sire very clean of spot, and are mostly showing good colour. Outdoor tomato growers are having a good season, although the fruit is mostly on tlic small size; wind during the month did some damage to vaiietics nearly fit, for harves+iug.