ORCHARD AND GARDEN RESTS BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10835, 19 August 1898, Page 3

ORCHARD AND GARDEN RESTS BILL.

INIMICAL TO NORTHERN INTERESTS. INTERVIEW WITBMR. W. JOHNS, OF • THE FRUITGROWERS' UNION. Northern" fruitgrowers, almost without ex ception, have been consistently opposed to the Orchard and Garden Posts Bill in its present form, as being inimical not only to their own, but to the public's, interests, and the Auckland Fruitgrowers' Union, a body having between 400 and 500 members, recently sent Mr. William Johns (the president) and Mr. Sharp (one of the members) as delegates to Wellington to oppose the measure, and 'explain the widespread adverse feelings it had excited. When it is stated that the total fruitgrowing area of the colony i 3 soma 22,000 acres, and that the two delegates represented growers having 10,000 acres, it will be readily understood how keenly interested this part of the colony is in anything affecting the fruitgrowing industry. Messrs. Johns and Sharp have returned, and one of our reporters, who interviewed the president yesterday, was furnished with some particulars, which throw a new light on the matter. " On our arrival at Wellington," said .Mr. Johns, " we thought we should have nothing to do beyond simply stating before the Joint Stock Committee, which was hearing evidence on the matter, the general opinion ar-d experience of tho Northern growers, either favourable or unfavourable to the Bill, but we bad not been in the city many hours before we found it was a case of Southorn against Northern orchards. The Rill is framed simply to prevent the Northern fruit from going South. That may not be the nominal object of it, but that is the real object of it, and tho effect it will have, if it becomes law. The pests mentioned in the schedule of the Bill are oodli.ii moth, American blight, woolly aphis, apple scab, phylloxera, and San Jose scale. I may say that the codlin moth, apparently through climatic reasons, is not thriving as much in the South as it is in tho North, and consequently they in the South are much freer of it than we are. There is one pest, however, which is not mentioned in the schedule, but which, in my opinion, is lira worst pest of all. That is the apple scalo (Mytilaspis pomorum), the true mussel scale, which is dreaded by all orchardists who know it. That is not mentioned in the schedule. I may say that tho South Island is simply saturated with it. On visiting Lambton Quay I found a thipment of Southern apples covered with this dreadful scale. The ludicrous part of the affair in regard to this omission is that Mr. Blacknioro, tho Government fruit expert, had assured the Agricultural Department that tho Southern districts were almost entirely free from any pest owing to his energy. So, I suppose, this apple scale was conveniently left out of tho schedule." "If the Bill pass, the result is patent, of course?" ( " Tho result, of court*), is easily foreseo.i. The Northern fruitgrowers will lie debarred from sending their fruit South, on account of the pests mentioned in the Bill, while Southern shipments may come North as usual, without oeing in any way subject to tlw restrictions contained in the measure." " Are they free from [jests in the South, then, as claimed by Mr. Blackmoro?" Well, Mr. Lewis, a Christchurch member, who owns a portion of the Styx orchard, in conversation with mo, complained of the difficulty they had in combating this apple scale, and mentioned that Mr. Blackmore had several times visited the orchard, and all the remedies suggested .him had been tried without avail." Our reporter questioned Mr. Johns as to the success of his mission. "I think the presence of the two Auckland delegates has tended to considerably alter the opinion of tho House with reference to tho proposed measure. Before our arrival at Wellington, they were all but unanimous in considering it- bot.i practicable and fair, and tho testimony of many Southern growers, who stated their own personal experiences before the committee, tended to confirm the members in their view. I may say tho Northern districts were entirely unrepresented, except by the two delegates. We represented a largo body, and tho Southern growers were there only to relato their own personal experiences. They did not represent the general feeling of growers. Had tho union not sent delegates, I firmly believo the Bill would have become law as it stands." "What is the present position of affairs?" "At present members are very divided in opinion, but it is almost certain that the Bill will bo modified very considerably ere it becomes. law. Our recommendations in this direction were that the measure should make bandaging the treos and picking up infected fruit compulsory. Those are two of the most certain methods of keeping the codlin moth qiest in check. The Bill is still before the committee, and it is very doubtful whether it will bo passod this session." Mr. Johns went on to speak of the evidence given before the committee. He was of opinion that tho evidence so far had been chiefly that of individual growers whose testimony was known beforehand to be favourable to tho measure. lie said their expenses were paid by tho Agricultural Department. " The strangest part of (ho whole matter to me," continued Mr. Johns, "is that the Department has not deemed it necessary to call Captain Broun, the Government entomologist, whose evidence as an expert in all matters relating to insect pests would have been invaluable, but for some unexplained cause ho has never been consulted, so far as I know." In conclusion, the president mentioned that all tho local auctioneers had decided to forward an emphatic protest against the Bill, as being injurious to tho public, and hurtful to the commercial interests. Although the growers here wcro opposed to the Bill in its present form, Mr. Johns pointed out that it was generally recognised that some action to keep pests in check was absolutely necessary.