HAWKE'S BAY FRUIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22620, 7 January 1937, Page 5

HAWKE'S BAY FRUIT

RAVAGES OF FROST PEACHES MOST AFFECTED SERIOUS SHORTAGES LIKELY [nv TEL KG HATH —OWN COIIHKSroNJ)i;:.T] N A PIER, Wed nesclay The fears entertained by llawke's Bay fruit growers at tho time of tho disastrous frosts which visited the district in the la to spring liavo been borne out in the last few weeks by a serious shortage of stone fruit on the market. Peaches have been the fruit most affected and it is almost impossible to obtain any great quantity. Apricots, on the other baud, have ripened a little earlier than usual and the market has been Hooded for a short time by excellent quality fruit It is anticipated by fruit growers that there will bo a serious shortage of apples of ail varieties on tho market this year as supplies left untouched by the frost have been heavily diminished by subsequent storms. Plums are ripening about a fortnight earlier than usual, but owing to the shortage of fruit it is almost cex - - tain the supply will not last. A prominent fruitgrower from the Hastings district stated to-day that out of his large orchard, containing several hundreds of fruit trees, he would scarcely pick enough fruit to bottlo for himself. Another grower from tho samo district stated that out of nine fully-grown peach trees ho only picked five poaches. Tomato growers, however, have met with a greater measure of success this { year. Outside grown tomatoes wore on ! the market before tho hothouse product j and the Christmas period saw toma- j toes in great demand. SYDNEY WOOL SALES j VERY SOLID COMPETITION j RECORD CROSSBRED PRICE j • i (Received January (!, tor, p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. G j At tho Sydney wool sales to-day i 13,354 bales were otfered. There was aj good selection and 12,55)1 bales were! sold, in addition to 3141 sold privately. ! There was very solid competition from Japan, the Continent and York- j shire, with good support on suitable lines from the United States. Deepstapled shafty spinning wools were very linn, while all other descriptions of Merino iloece and skirtings maintained recently improved levels. Comebacks and fine erossbrods also were very firm. Greasy Merino made to 29d, crossbred to 29id. and comeback to 28jd, the latter two prices being records for the season. FIRST LONDON SERIES OPENING ON 'ITKSDAY LONDON, Jan. 5 The first series of wool sales in London for 1937 will commence on January 12 and conclude on January 27. The catalogue totals 106,500 bales and includes 751.050 Australian and 23,000 New Zealand. SHIPMENT FOR JAPAN WOOL FROM DOMINION SALES [in* ti:l kguarh—<iwx roilHKsr<>xnr.xt ) DI'NKDIN, Wodnosday The Tokyo Maru arrived to-day in Dimedin from Sydney to pick up the wool from the recent Dominion sales. She will take from this port 9000 bales, which will be delivered to Japanese mills about a month after the sale. PASSION FRUIT PULPING NORFOLK ISLAND FACTORY INSTALLATION OF MACHINERY [from orn owx cohrv.spoxdent] NORFOLK ISLAND, Dec. 20 The balance of the machinery for the passion fruit pulping iactory, including engines and boilers, has arrived from Svdncy, and been installed. One case, about sft. square, containing double jacket, rustless preserving pans, valued at over £IOO, fell, overboard from the cargo lighter, midway between the anchorage and the jetty. When grappled for, a good hold was secured, but the line parted, and the grappling iron was lost. A local resident devised a new grapnel, and. a day or two later, the case was salvaged. All the outside woodwork had been torn off by the rough seas, but the zinc lining and the contents were intact. The factory is now purchasing all fruit offering. Tho very dry weather is severely checking the filling of the fruit, and quantities arc dropping from the vines. TEA EXPORT QUOTA NO SURPRISE CAUSED The announcement that the tea export quota for the season April 1, 15)37, to March 31, 1938, is to remain the same as lor the past two years, namely, S2J per cent of the standard export, cannot bo said to have come as a great surprise to the industry, which was prepared for only a small variation either way, says the Calcutta Capital. The general feeling was that if there was any change it would be a fractional enhancement of the quota, if only as a gesture to the various Governments concerned and tho large consuming public in various countries. The point of view of tho three Governments involved is that while they aro willing and anxious to assist tho tea industry in their several territories, the industry must on its partso endeavour to stimulate consumption that the industry will move backto pro-slump conditions THOUSAND SHIPS BUILT BELFAST FIRM'S RECORD Tho most recent shipbuilding firm to join the select band of firms which have reached No. 1000 on their order book is Harland and Wolff, Limited, Belfast. The thousandth vessel was 11.M.5. Belfast, a cruiser of the improved Southampton class, which was laid down in Belfast last month. The great majority of the vessels included in this 1000 have, of course, been built m Belfast, but a number of them came from tho firm's Govan yard, and a smaller number still from yards that were once associated with Harland and Wolff, Limited, such as Jnglis' and Henderson's. it is 77 years since No. 1 was launched in the yard which had been just opened on the Lagan by Sir Edward Harland. This was a sailing ship, the Venetian, for Messrs. Bibby. of Liverpool. The first White Star liner launched in the port, the Oceanic, was No. 73, and three years later No. 100 was reached. No. 500, which was launched during the war, was 11.M.5. Cavendish, and it is interesting to note that whereas it took 58 yoars_to reach that number, the second 500 \essels have coino along i- 11 l ess than 20 years.