THE FRUIT INDUSTRY

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12425, 20 April 1926, Page 3

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY

ORCHARDS AND MARKETING CONDITIONS HEAVY CROPS OF APPLES. The director of the horticulture division has received the following reports from his officers regarding orchard and marketing conditions at the end of March, 1926: — HAWKE’S BAY. Apples.—Heavy crop, midseason fruit of good quality harvested, and good clean crop late varieties ready for picking, fair proportion will be exported. 47,000 cases packed for export during March. Fair quantities now being cool stored. Lemons: Average. Pears: Medium to light—about 5000 crates being exported. Walnuts: Good harvest of nuts.—N. J. Adamson. WANGANUI. Apples.—Heavy crop. Lemons : Average crop. Oranges: Light. Pears: Average crop. Tomatoes: Average. Walnuts: Light.—H. F. Frost. MANAWATU AND WAIRARAPA. Apples.—Stunners and other late varieties, heavy crop. High percentage fancy grade (now ready for harvesting re export). Pears : Patchy Tomatoes : On market. Walnuts: Few grown. The excessive dry weather, which prevailed during the early part of the season, does not appear to have affected the late varieies of apples (as regards size) to the same extent as it did the midseason varieties. Stunners, Cleo’s, Rome Beauty, etc., are well up to normal in regard to size, and well above average as regards blemish and general appearance, this, no doubt, is to a great extent due to the absence of woolly aphis in the orchards.—J. W. Whelan. NELSON. Apples.—The apple crop is exceeding all expectations and will constitute a record for the district. Export quantifies will be 100 per cent, over the previous season. Though on the smaller side, the fruit is very free from black spot and ruesetting, and insect pests are not severe. Lemons: A fair setting. Pears: Crops have been very disappointing with Winter Cole—on tne small side owing to dry weather. Strawberries: Second crop was very disappointing owing to dry weather. Tomatoes: Still a few picking with good demand for factory use. On the whole a very good season. Walnuts: Good crops and fairly clean.—J. H. Thorp. MOTTJEKA. Apples.—Practically nothing to report on last month. Late varieties being picked and packed for export. Great majority Sturmers fancy grade. Over 100,000 cases passed for export to end of month.—G. Stratford.MARLBOROUGH. Apples.—Good crops being harvested. Large proportion of small fruit, due to dry conditions, has reduced bulk of anticipated export. Pears: Local prddnetion small, especially in late varieties. Crops good where grown. Tomatoes: Good crops have been realised—satisfacfying local demand. Walnuts: Now being harvested. Crops slightly above average.—M. Davey.