IMPROVING CITRUS FRUIT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19119, 10 September 1925, Page 11

IMPROVING CITRUS FRUIT.

DECISION OF CONFERENCE. PRACTICAL BUD SELECTION. A conference on the subject of improving citrus fruits was held last evening between, representativs of the Institute of Horticulture, the Auckland Citrus Association and the Nurserymen's Assccition. Mr. W. H. Price, who presided, urged the need for practical work in bud selection in connection with citrus fruits. He paid S tribute to the unassisted work of the nurserymen in this connection, but said it was high time for co-operative improvement of the citrus varieties.

Mr. G. A. Green spoke of the work to date in New Zealand and said they should follow the system as outlined by Mr. A. D. Shamel, the great plant pathologist of California. This also demanded co-opera-tive effort. The Government should support the work because of its great public value. Mr.' H. Becroft stressed the need for careful selection of Poorman oranges. Much of the fruit at present reaching the market had too many seeds in it, thus detracting from its value as dessert. It was decided unanimously to commence the work of citrus improvement cooperatively by bud selection. Rules to be observed were laid down.