MORE FRUIT CONDEMNED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15069, 12 August 1912, Page 5

MORE FRUIT CONDEMNED.

A TONGAN SHIPMENT. CASKS SENT TO DESTRUCTOR. About 100 cases of oranges were, brought from 'Tonga by the steamer Tofua on Thursday, ami of these, 20 cases wore found to be infected with the fruit maggot-, and had to be consigned to the desi tructor. The balance of the shipment is being held by the Agricultural Department, pending advice from Wellington. This shipment is the first that has been brought from Tonga for some years. J lie fruit is of splendid quality, but unfortunately the Tongan group suffers exceedJ ingly from the ravages of the Mediteri ranean fruit fly. Sonic years ago, regular i shipments of oranges were brought from ; Tonga to this port, but Island traders ; were obliged to discontinue their opera - i tions, owing to the fact that the fruit was invariably condemned by the Department.

Stringent regulations guard the . importation of citrous fruits from the Tongan "Group, and no fruit is allowed to be landed in New Zealand unless accompanied by a certificate proving that it has been grown at least a mile distant from an infected area. The germ in question will attack almost any kind of fruit, and has been known to infect cucumbers. At tho present time tho fruit, when condemned, is taken as expeditiously as possibly to the destructor and burned. When a regular trade was maintained with the Tongan Group, however, the onus of destroying the fruit then lay with the importer.

A prominent Island fruit merchant of Auckland recalls an instance of how, on one occasion, during tho visit to Auckland of King George, then tho Duko of York, a largo shipment of condemned oranges lay on the Railway Wharf during the wholo of tho holidays. At tho end of that period the portion of the wharf on which they lay was covered with millions of the pests. While it is admitted by some of the Island merchants that tho maggot attacks almost, any fruit, it is contended that the pest could not beoomo a permanent one in New Zealand, as the winter here is too rigorous.