NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY Registered for transmission through the post as a newspaper. MONDAY, JULY 13, 1925. "INFERIOR" LEMONS

Northern Advocate, 13 July 1925, Page 4

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY Registered for transmission through the post as a newspaper. MONDAY, JULY 13, 1925. "INFERIOR" LEMONS

In the House of Representatives on Thursday the duty on foreign lemons imported into New Zealand was mentioned, Mr S.ullivan, one of the Labour members from Christehureh, asking the Minister of Customs to give an assurance that the duty would not be increased. Mr Sullivan is reported to have said that lemons grown in. New Zealand could not even keep the Dominion supplied during the season, and that they were "very inferior" to the imported article. The Government actually has been .urged to permit free of lemons, no doubt by people whose views concerning the New Zealand product are similar to Mr 'Sullivan's. It is, of course, true that the Dominion is not growing enough lemons to meet its own requirements, and the principal reason for this is probably that until recent times the transport of the fruit from North Auckland to southern markets has been difficult, slow, and costly. The extension of railway services has done something to improve matters, and the result should be a substantial development in the culture of lemons and other citrus fruit. As for the quality of the lemons grown in the North, wo fancy that Mr Sullivan has spoken without knowledge. There are wellknown growers in the Auckland province who have abundantly proved the ability of its soil and climate to produce superior lemons —infinitely better fruit, one would imagine, than the miserable specimens labelled "Sydney lemons" that are to be seen today in shop windows in many centres. If even members of Parliament are not aware of the possibilities of the North, then it is high time they should be informed. It is to be hoped that citrus fruits will be prominently displayed in the Auckland Court at the Dunedin Exhibition, which is to open on November 17. While the first aim of the court will be the promotion of settlement, for which the Auckland province offers great opportunities, it is also to be hoped thafi the display will be used as a means of fostering trade between the North and South. There is perhaps no exhibit which would appeal more strongly to the imagination of the Southerners" than an artistic display of lemons and oranges would. The people *.f Canterbury and Otago for the most part regard these fruits as products of the Cook Islands, other Pacific Islands, New South ,W a l es > au d even California, and many of them would be surprised to learn that the Auckland province could, if it were encouraged, satisfy their requirements. There is no reason why New Zealand should not grow all the lemons it needs, and if ample supplies were available it would soon be found that there was no superior virtue in the imported fruit.