AUCKLAND FRUITGROWING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15662, 16 July 1914, Page 6

AUCKLAND FRUITGROWING.

Even the opponents of the Reform Administration must recognise that as Minister for Lands and-of Agriculture Mr. Masscy is doing the public yeoman service. It is very many years since these important portfolios were held by a minister \w close and sympathetic touch with the country population and able to carry his carefully considered determinations into law. From the agricultural point of view Mr. Massey is an ideal administrator constantly demonstrating—in small measures as in great—a shrewd and practical perception of the national needs. Among the latest evidences of ministerial watchfulness over agricultural interests—a watchfulness to which the country is still unaccustomed— is an amending Fruit Preserving Industry Bill, by which tho limit of state advances to cool storage plants will be raised from £3000 to £9000. This is one of the small measures referred to, but is nevertheless highly important as it must greatly assist in placing tho fruitgrowing industry upon a sound commercial basis. A flourishing export trade is essential to the establishment of orchardry upon an assured foundation, and in modern times export can only be profitably carried on upon a large scale. Central storage has been proved to be much more satisfactory and economical than reliance upon small and scattered plants; under Mr. Massey's guidance tho Agricultural Department is promptly adapting its methods to the requirements of the fruitgrowers. Fruitgrowing is a national industry, of high promise in Otago as in Nelson, in Hawke's Bay as in Canterbury, but there is no part of tho Dominion where prospects are better than in Auckland Province. The pumice lands of tho central plateau, the alluvial soils of the Waikato and the Thames and the so-called " gum-lands" of tho North, are in their respective ways peculiarly suited to the orchardist. It is truo that the orchard industry is still chaotic and has not yet been generally reduced to order by accurate scientific and commercial local knowledge of suitable and marketable varieties. Even departmentally planted farms in Auckland have had to be replanted owing to mistaken views as to tho most suitable varieties, the cost of this being very properly borne by the Department. Practical local and commercial knowledge is being steadily acquired, however, and the export trade has been commenced. During tho past three seasons the annual export of apples has been 14,000, 33,000 and 85,000 cases— marked and most encouraging increase. There are still belated individuals in the South Island who cling to the obsolete delusion that the North of Auckland is too tropical to grow either apples or white children, but nobody now discusses this absurdity. The North of Auckland will be one of the greatest; fruitgrowing areas in the Dominion' and richly deserves the special treatment and encouragement now being accorded to its small settlers by Mr. Massey's Administration.