FRUIT INDUSTRY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 124, 27 May 1919, Page 2

FRUIT INDUSTRY

QUESTION OF STOCKS,

SEUDTINGS TATOURvD IN

■ i ASMANIA

The -Special committee appointed by the Tasmanian Govarnmetit to impure into the causes of failure of many of the apple trees.in the younger on .hards has presented' its. report. The inquiry wins mainly into the respective merits of the seedling and the blight-proof or spy stocks, and the report is, oh the whole, a condemnation of the latter

In the Tarn a. c some 40 orchards were inspected, the majority of those in hearing being in an unsatisfactory condition owing to immutability of stpek, faulty selection of soil, and, in some instances, bad.- management in respect to cultivation and. lack of drainage. Stock and soil are the two principal factors contributing to failure ini this valley, such failure, _being accentuated I ', by any form of neglect which would be far less noticeable when the seedlihg wa*. employed. In most localities were to be found trees on the .seedling or crab stock, which stood out, unquestionably as a good commercial .proposition, full ot vigour and bearing; well, while trees worked'on the Northern. Spy stock showed sign's of distress and were at least not making wood. One orchard on seed - ling .stock near .Launceston, ' planted, in most unpromising soil and situation, can be seen at 30 years ,of age bearing a heavy crop of .fruit and' making wood. .At Eillydale; Spreydon, and Latrobo the same observations, in regard to the ; superiority of seedling stocks were made. At Ranleagh, Jonathans on Spy stock*, sixteen, years of age, 'carried heavy crops of fruit," and were making good growth under ideal conditions of drainage, cultivation, and manuring. Trees adjoin - ' ing oh. seedling stock two years younger were making a more vigorous growth, not carrying .as heavy a crop. In a year or two it is beneved these trees will surpass the trees on the Spy stock. Generally, this area is noted for the production of heavy crops of fruit on seedling stock during .the past five decades; where cultivation and reneon able attention are given, to the orchards eminently satisfactory results have been obtained. In.the Bagdad Valley the Spy stock iwodomin-ites, alrd the and were - except iu : solated caees, .yisieVß :: \ ■ Shewing stocks were used. Tix Xscrw€tvt \&Ucy <iko the Spy sto>?k does hot suit the environ- ; inent. ; In conclusion, the Committee-say they are reluctantly forced to admit that, ex- t ♦.ip in those "cases where the conditions are most favourable and the highest skill and attention are devoted to the management, the Spy stocky is not to be compared for practical utility with the tree** grown on seedling stocks. The practice of investors at a distance putting money into orchard lands before visiting the State uhd' -gaining local knowledge is eminently likely to result in some cases -in disappointment. The report-is Signed by three members of the'cdmmitteb. -Messrs :!!&& A. Fra.n-, comb, Percy H. Tucker, and W. L, Terrv \