THE APPLE INDUSTRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17635, 27 May 1919, Page 8

THE APPLE INDUSTRY

DISORGANISED BY WAK. A MILLION SURPLUS TREES. Some interesting information concerning the staUj of the apple-growing industry was suppued to a Daily limes reporter yesterday hy a prominent Otago fruit-grower. MjVidviK* was given before the Industries Ooncmsaion in Wellington that there were in .toe dominion .about a million surplus apple trees, worth £50,000. This state of aiiairs, he explained, was the result of the disorganisation of the fruit industry owing to tap _ ( shortage of shipping daring ,tho war, following on the Government prohibition oi tise importation of Australian trees to prevent the intaxiuction of crown-gall arid roul-knot to New Zeaiand. The ixursery ownei-s'oi New Zeaiand, expecting that <VPP»%-tree planting would go on in the ordn&ry course of events on the same scale as it had cone in the past, made provision to supply the local demand for young treesand tney also built up a considerable export trade with South America. The South American market has been ,losfc to them owing to the shipping shortage—apple trees require a big proportion of space to thenweight—and the war also had the unfortunate effect of stopping local planting, as there was no insulated space to spare for the export of apples in any quantity, and the home consumption was not large enough to utilise the ueuaL crop. , The result is that to-day the nurseries most of which are situated in the North Island, find themselves with a million youn*r trees that are not wanted, and unless the Government comes to tfaeir rescue the owners stand to lose £50,000. Maiden rods (yearlings), or two year olds, are what all orehardists require, for planting ont, so if these million trees are not utilised immediately they will have to be destroyed on accoiint of their age apart altogether from the question of depreciation. It has been suggested that the trees might be used to plant orchards for returned soldiers, but there are reasons that render this impracticable. In the first place, unless prepared land were available, it would take a year or more for the working of the land before it was ready for planting. 'Further, it must be remembered that it is not good practice to start takhxr much off the trees till six or 6even years after planting, and soldiers cannot afford to wait that time unless there is some . way of combining apple-growing with other forms, of farming which would give the soldier an immediate return. Most of the existing orchards are fairly well planted up, so that no relief may be looked for in that direction. The bulk of the apple orchards in the Alexandra", Clyde, and Cromwell districts are fully planted, and it would seem that rnoch of the fruit land in Central Otago is more suitable for growing stone fruit, or the heavy yielding lucerne, than for apples. Only small plantings may therefore be expected so far as Otago is concerned. Where there is the necessity for ihe quick disposal of such a quantity of trees, export is obviously the beet remedy, if the Government could arrange to have two or three steamers set aside to carry the trees to South America, where the market for them exists. Australia more than supplies her own demand. Now ie the season to sell them there.; and it is certain that if the trees are not disposed, of by export, assisted bV State plantrog, by -Sie end of next season they win ha-ve to be destroyed. The loss to the nurserymen would be very great, and the effect on the industry as a whole would be most unfortunate.