ORCHARD PLANTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20028, 18 August 1928, Page 13

ORCHARD PLANTING.

GOOD SEASON EXPECTED*

CITRUS TREES IN DEMAND.

SMALLER 'STRAWBERRIES AREA.

"Commercial orchards throughout the Auckland district arc at present in good order, and indications are that the coming season will bo a successful ono from the growers' point of view," said Mr. W. 11. Rice, orchard instructor to the Department of Agriculture, yesterday, in reviewing various aspects of the seasonal work now in progress. The present planting season had seen an almost phenomenal demand for citrus trees and thousands of these had been supplied from tho nurseries, Mr. Rice said. At tho present moment nursery stocks were completely absorbed, and thore were still unfulfilled orders for about 4000 or 5000 Poorman orango frees.

feuch a remarkable demand lutd not been experienced for many years, especially in tho caso of lemon trees. These had been planted more extensively than had been tho case for a considerable time. Sweet oranges had also found considerable favour among growers, and between 15,000 and 17,000 trees had been planted on one block of 170 acres at tho Cay of Islands alone. r lhese trees had been secured from Australia, as they wcro not available in tho Dominion. Sixty Acres in Passion Fruit, "Owing to the fact that there are sfill heavy stocks of this season's apples and pears on hand, the cultivation of these fruits has fallen into a certain disfavour," Mr. Rice stated. "They have not been planted at all extensively throughout the district as yet. However, stone fruits have been in popular demand, particularly peaches and mid-season plums. Owing no doubt to tho short, supplies and high prices which obtained last year, passion-fruit growing has received a marked impetus. This is noticeable not only among the small holders who usually cultivate this fruit as a side-line, but also among the large commercial orehardists. 1 here aro about 60 acres now planted in passion-fruit, and the season promises well as far as it is concerned. "The dry summer has resulted in a smaller quantity of strawberries being planted than was the case last year. There has been a shortage of plants, and numerically there is not moro than 60 per cent, of last season's total now being grown. The corning months will not see a large quantity of strawberries on the market, and we cannot look for a big season. On tho other hand, the plants are nearly all in tho hands of experienced growers and as a result the supplies should be of a high quality. Guarding Against Fireblight.

"Seasonal work at the present time consists in the completion oi' pruning, and, in going over trees, growers would be well advised to remove all cankers, especially from apple and pear trees. These are the source of the fireblight which causes such ravages in the spring. It is safe to say that if every canker were removed from trees throughout the district, and it is quite possible to do this, there would be no appearance of fireblight in the orchards during .the coming season. " There are many cankers similar in appearance to that of the fireblight, but for purposes of practical control orchardists are well advised to treat every one with suspicion and make sure of its removal. During the winter, the canker adheres to the branches and is dead to all intents and purposes. However, (ho moment the sap commences to flow with tho arrival of spring the growth is given new life, and it is then that it commences to cause the damage which could be prevented by careful treatment of tho trees at this time of the year." Mr. Rice added tiie recent appearance of blossoms on fruit trees in the city and suburbs was really no indication that the coming fruit season would be a bad one. Trees in blossom were not to be seen to any extent in the commercial orchards, and there was nothing to show that they would suffer in the size of their yield. Growers were at present making arrangements for tho export of future crops, and it seemed as though export would be made in larger quantities this year.