PLANT ACCLIMATISATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18888, 22 December 1924, Page 9

PLANT ACCLIMATISATION.

LOCALLY-GROWN ORANGES.

PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE.

A meetingof the council of the Auckland Plant Acclimatisation t Society was held last week, Mr. J. P. Kalaugher presiding.

Mr. Wright said that he had made inquiries regarding the prospects of obtaining satisfactory prices for locally-grown oranges marketed during the Christmas season. He had been told that there was somewhat of a prejudice against locallygrown fruit, and that to secure good prices the fruit would have to be guaranteed to be juicy. Mr. Wright held the opinion that much of the trouble with " dry " orange's arose through selling early oranges latte in the season. He exhibited at the meeting a locally-grown orange, a new variety, " Lu-Gim-Gong," discovered by a Chinese in .Florida. The fruit was large and juicy, and hung on the'trees which were very early and remarkably heavy croppers. The fruit was sampled by members of the council and pronounced to be very juicy and of excellent quality. Mr. Wright also showed a specimen of the true grape fruit, " Marsh's Seedless/' of American origin, and which bears bitter fruit. He said the " poorman orange " was an Indian variety of grape fruit. The "Kin-kan," a Japanese variety, was a very palatable fruit. It should not be eaten before November, but from then on _ was easily the best of the grape fruits, and lasted right through the winter months. Mr. Wright said that the " sour orange," the Seville orange introduced hy the priests in the old Spanish days in America, was the favouritS, stock in Florida. He had obtained 51b. of seed from America, but was only sue cessful in raising about 400 sour orange stocks from it.

It was resolved to write to the director of horticulture, Hawaii, asking for a supply of budding wood for several varieties of limes.

A letter was recived from Mr. L. Clayton, of Gisborne, stating that he had had considerable success with all the seeds sent to him by the society with the exception of Yerba Mate, which failed to germinate. Mr. Clayton's offer to send seeds oi Veronica Lavaudiana was accepted. The resignation of Mr. T. H. Patterson, of the Department of Agriculture, was accepted with regret.