THE FRUIT CROP.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 113, 16 May 1918, Page 2

THE FRUIT CROP.

A GENERAL REVIEW.

Officers of the Horticulture Division of the Department of Agriculture report as follow regarding the condition of the fruit crop at the end of April, 1918: ,' , North Auckland.—Apples: Nearly finished. Lemons: Good, average. Oranges: Sweet, good average; Poorman, heavy to medium. The month as been very wet. and cold weather ha.s been experienced. The season has practically finished, and winter work will soon have to be commenced. Waitemata.—Apples: Yates, Dougherty, Commerce, and Etowah only left in 'orchards. Lemon«: • Average. Oranges : Poorman, medium to heavy. Autumn has set in-with very wet weather. Practically all the fruit is now off. Pruning will soon-be commenced. Generally speaking the apple crop has been heavy, pears light to medium, and peacnes medium. • Auckland South.—Season practically ended. Fair quantities apples and pears placed in cool stores. Trees genrally have made good growth during season, and at present are looking well, stone fruit especially showing profusion of fruit buds.

Waikato.—Apples : Late varieties now being gathered. Lemons: Picking ha.s commenced in few cases. Crops appear to be rather patchy. The weather conditions during April have been of a showery nature, and in ; consequence many of the trees, both stone and pip, a good deal of bloom which must inevitably affect the next season's crop. . ■. . Povertv Bay. —Little remains now but a few late apples. Crops have proved good and are finding a ready sale. Le mons: Should be a good crop. Verrucosis is verv general in the northern part of the" district, but little or none in Poverty Bay. Oranges : Sweet and preserving are both below average crop this year. Hawke's Bay.—Apples :. Late varieties very heavy. Lemons : Good. Walnuts : Harvesting good crop. Wanganui.—Apples : Considerable damage caused by heavy wind last month," in some cases stripping all the fruit off and the majority of fruit spurs, etc., in a few instances blew the fruit treets over, also caused shelter belts to be partially destroyed. Pears also suffered from gale. Pear scab prevalent in some parte of the district. Tomatoes: Harvesting over. A frost about middle of the month blackened the last few fruits and cut the plants off. Palmerston North.—Apples : Heavy, autumn crop picked. Pears : Been heavycrop. ,- all harvested. Tomatoes: Few •late still being sold ,- flavourless. Most of autumn and early winter crop been harvested. Prices for local-grown fruit poor. Local-grown fruit as a rule appears on market in old cases,, benzine boxes, etc. : growers do not take the trouble to grade or pack. Fruit coming into' market sclean and free from disease.

"Wellington. —Apples-: Almost over. Growers report a good season v Pears : Over. Heavy crop reported. Tomatoes: Nearly over. Growers have had an exceptionally profitable season. Nelson.—Apples : The month has been rather wet for the season, and autumn infection of black snot on apples has occurred in a few places. The condition of the crop generally is good. A considerable quantity of Jate crop still remains to be gathered™ Lemons: A good crop maturing. Pearls: Harvesting nearlv completed. Strawberies: A few beries still being gathered. Marlborough.—The apple crop has now practically all been picked with tho exception of Dougherty, Horn, Yates, Rokewod, and a few -Stunners. On the whole crops panning out well. Like other districts the heavy rains of February and- March (especially tho former) caused some of the earlier varieties to go off rather more rapidly than usual. Walnuts are in very great demand at excellent prices. Canterbury and West Coast. —Apples : Fair to good crop. Pears: Medium crop. Tomatoes: Fair to good crop. Walnuts: Medium crop. The weather conditions during the month have been moderately good. Orchardists have been busy harvesting their fruit. There are only a few of the 1 late varieties of apples and pears tiow to harvest; There are- still a quantity of outdoor tomatoes coming on the market, but will not continue much longer, as the last night or two frosts have been fairly severe. Christchurch and West Cqast v—Apples : Late varieties mostly good. Pears: Late varieties turning out well. Tomatoes : Poor. Black spot bad. Walnuts"t Good crop. Disease prevalent.- The late apples are turning out well. Sturmers are practically the only variety left to harvest: There is a good crop of late pears —Easter- Beurre, l'lnconnue, Winter Nelis—and the harvesting: of these varieties is-in full swing. Black spot has been bad all", through the season. Owing to the black rot the tomato crop has been very light; many patches have been pulled out and burnt when only half the crop was harvested. South Canterbury.—AH fruit except a few of'the late varieties of apples and pears are now- harvested. On the night of the 19th a very heavy frost was experienced, and late crops of tomatoes have suffered.

Otago.-—Apples : Main Crop being picked. Strawberries: New beds being planted. Wintry conditions and frosts now prevailing!