FRUITGROWING IN AMERICA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 15 June 1926, Page 5

FRUITGROWING IN AMERICA

AN INTERESTING ADDRESS

TRIBUTES TO NEW ZEALAND

FRUIT

There was a good attendance of fruitgrowers at the meeting at Stoke iast night, when an address was given by Mr 11. €. Lassen, of the Bean Spray Pump Company. Mr J. Biggar, President of the Stoke Fruitgrowers' Association, was in the chair.

Mr Lassen commenced by saying that he had expected that America would he able to show New Zealand something about fruitgrowing, but from what he had already seen in the Dominion he had had to revise his opinions. He had seen no better trees than in New Zealand. The largest peach tree he had ever seen was at Hastings; it had produced 42 half cases of fruit. The New Zealand pruning methods were as good as anything in America. In regard to spraying, however, the methods were different, and there were differences even between the Eastern and Western States of America. In the north-west they were now spraying up to 400 to 500lh. pressure, using a gnu with three outlets.

ENGLAND AMERICA’S GREATEST

MARKET

They had sprayed so thoroughly and used so much arsenate of lead that they had got into serious trouble in England. England was their greatest market and without England they tvould have to go out of business. I hey sprayed i ght up to the last day of picking, as they believed it gave the apples a Le'.u-r colour and a harder skin, and they used as much as 41b. of arsenate to 100 gallons. When the trouble arose about the arsenic they had tried to remove the arsenic with a water spray, but it was not effective. “If England turns us down, our market is gone, and we don’t want New Zealand to get the whole of the English market,” humorously remarked .Mr Lassen. The speaker went on to say that fiy reversing the position of the spray tank they were able to haul 400 gallons w.th two horses, instead of only 150 gall ns, thus cutting down the cost by a third. STATIONARY PLANTS In some districts a stationary plant was in 'use. He advocated an inch main being used with three-quarter ch laterals. Itliad been proved that there was no advantage in having a. return system —in fact it had sometimes been found that the return system was not so satisfactory as it gave more sediment, and had been blamed for burning. Care must be taken, however, to see that there was pulsation. Where heavy frosts were experienced it was also neees. sary to see that the cut-offs were thor oughly drained .or there would be burstings and leaks. Mr Lassen quoVd an instance where pipes had been down 17 years and were not affected by corrosion. Where portable plants could be worked growers used these, as with a stationary plant all the laterals had o be filled if there were no cut-offs, wm'oh were expensive. IRRIGATION ' Irrigation, stated Mr Lassen, cost from 5 to 30 dollars an acre a year in the north-west, where they could not raise ; one crop of apples without irrigation. On a ten acre orchard one man would be employed continuously in directing the water. Bare land cost 2000 dollars an acre, and it was no better than New Zealand land. “Your fruit in fact is better, as we puff up our fruit,” said Mr Lassen. MARKETING COSTS As to marketing costs Mr Lassen mentioned box 24 cents; packing, 10 cents; grading, 6 cents; rail to New York, 1 dol. 5 cents; Atlantic height, 45 cents; and other items bringing lie total to about 8/6 a case. “Yet we can make money,” added Air Lassen, “but it must be extra fancy fruit.” Iceir case had a bulge, but their fruit showed more shrinkage than New Zealand, “Yours must he a lot-better apple to carry to London - as it does,” he commented. Inspection was very keen in the north-west. Growers were sometimes a little sore about this, hut it was the only thing to do. WASTE ELIMINATED Of great interest, in view of the enormous waste that occurs in New Zealand orchards, was Mr Lassen's information regarding lower grade fruit. There were immense sales of American dried apples in England, he said’, and why not New Zealand dried apples? Canning too, was a tremendous feature —practically every variety was canned. A good deal of cider was also made. There was very little waste. The pear industry was rapidly diminishing owing to fireblight. Only one or two sections remained where pears were grown. Great tracts of pear trees had been cut out.

There had been an enormous extension of grape growing since America went “dry.” The' grapo growers, said Mr Lassen, spent millions of dollars on fighting prohibition. Now they were spending millions to keep America “dry.” as the prohibition law had been a, great thing for the grape industry. The fig and raisin industries, on the other hand, were on the down grade, being overdone. The citrus industry was flourishing. It was on a fine financial basis and had 22 million dollars, of reserve fund to provide for failures. The success of the citrus industry was- due to the splendid organisation and the loyalty of members.

PULLING OUT ORCHARDS The information was given that several large tracts of apple orchards in America were being given up. These orchards ranged from 5000 to over 8000 acres, and it was largely English capital that was invested in them. The English capitalist expected to have to wait for a dividend while the orchards were young, hut when they reached the. producing stage a dividend was expected. Owing to the enormous expense of running these big tracts they did riot pay and they were going out.

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS In reply to questions Mr Lassen stilted that while there was one big marketing organisation, each district had a local organisation and a say, in the management of the parent organisation. If

! manager was not considered satisfactory, the local organisations could remove him. The parent organisation handled boxes and wrapping .material, but not spray materials; it also controlled the marketing. He was a great believer in the grower’s name on the label If a grower sent, out a high grade he was proud of his name. Pooling was not general, as growers were not altogether in favour of it. Inferior fruit should he kept off the market, as it brought down the price of good stuff. The use of a spreader had not been altogether satisfactory. It was considered that the spreader caused a chemical change and reduced the effectiveness of arsenate of lead, and ccdlin moth had been worse where a spreader had been used than where it had not.. Oil had replaced lime-sulphur; and was also being used as a substitute for arsenate. G'c>d results were claimed, hut it was

not safe to form definite conclusions under three or four seasons 1 trials. On the motion of Air A. Gilbert, seconded by Mr T. C. C. Scott, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Air Lassen, and also Mr Ivory (who was responsible for Mr Lassen’s visit to Nelson). Both speakers expressed the opinion that the address was the most interesting that had been given in Stoke for many years. That the meeting entirely endorsed this view was apparent from the warm applause accompanying the carrying of the motion.

A demonstration of a new wiring machine was to have followed Mr Lassen’s address, but Air D. Neal explained that Hie demonstrator had been delayed en toute to Nelson. For the same reason an apology was made for the absence of •Mr Stephens.