THE FRUIT CROP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17575, 17 March 1919, Page 6

THE FRUIT CROP

CONDITIONS REVIEWED. " Officers of the Horticulture Division of the Department of Agriculture report as follows regarding the condition oi tho fruit crop at tho end of February:— Nelson-—Apples: Worcester Pearmains are about ali gathered; 'Scarlet Pearmains and Cox's Orange Pippin ax© now being picked; prospects generally are well maintained. Apricots: The harvesting of this crop is about completed. Lemons: Excellent crops are maturing. Nectarines and i eaohes; Goldmine nectarines and Alberta peaches are now being gathered; the crop generally is above the average of tho last lew years. Pears: A moderate crop is maturing; Williams Bon Chretien is new being gathered. Plums (European and Japanese') : Japanese 'varieties are mostly over; giant prune, prune d'Agen,- and many Jj/uropean plums are gathered; Monarch plum is now about ready for picking. Raspberries: Recent rains have helped r~ IS , crop considerably. Strawberries: steady showers have started the beds cropping again. Tomatoes: Warm weather has hastened the ripening of the outdoor crop. Marlborough.— Apples: Generally a good , crop; nothing further to report than- last month. Nectarines and Peaches: Crop considerably thinned by frost, and the crops ' aro late ripening; quality and size excelj " ears: Fair -average crop; quality £°? d - Ptams (Japanese): Fair cron. Walnuts: Very heavy crop, greatly thinned by spot. .Canterbury. -Apples: Small. Later varieties better than at first estimated in some districts. Very little fungus disease, but plenty O'- eodlin moth in evidence. Apri- •' cots: Majority of crop harvested. . On the whole clean and good, except Banks Ponin- ' suia, where scab was in evidence. Nectarines: A good marketable and payable crop where attended to. Peaches: Majority - of peaches smaller than usual, especially Royal Goorge. Early peaches very good and wean; later varieties not quite so good. ' Pears: Very fair where not damaged by irost. Mid-season varieties better than late varieties. On the whole clean. Plums: Average-crop. Japanese heavy. Tomatoes: Very good, clean.,.' Hothouse very satisfactory. _ Nearly all- harvested. Just starting to pit*; outside: Later than usual. Cf Wa l?uts: .Fairly good. Affected with black spot m places. _ Otago. Apples: Cromwell and Clyde : £orge, very good, clean crop. Alexandra, V ydG ' an «. Earnscleugh, very light with a tow _ exceptions where frost was not severe. Apricots: Cromwell and Clvde Gorge good. ' Alexandra,- Clyde, and Earnscleugh very •' light. Nectarines: Cromwell and Clyde, .medium. Other places light. PeachesCromwell and Clyde Gorge good, other ' places light.•. Pears:/ttarowT3ll mediumothers light, clean crop. Plums: Cromwell and Clyde Gorge good., other places iight. Plums (Japanese): Cromwell and Clyde Gorge good, other places light. J Promising a noor crop in most places and very late. If an early winter' ' sets m. many will not ripen. Late Wight bad. Heavy rains end of January cansed \ plants to develop hollow stem. Walnuts: Light all iound. • . .