AUCKLAND ORCHARDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22809, 19 February 1936, Page 11

AUCKLAND ORCHARDS

EFFECT OF RECENT STORM GROWERS SUFFER SEVERELY (Special to Dails Times) AUCKLAND. February 18. Over tw_p weeks have elapsed since the disastrous storm at the beginning of the month, and orcharditsts in the Auckland district are now able to make a truer estimate of the actual losses likely to result, especially in the case of fruit intended for export, the mainstay of the industry. Naturally the damage varied considerably, even over the small areas, but a careful canvass of the Henderson, Gratia and Huapai districts indicated a probable shortage of fully 30 per cent, of anticipated quantities. Last season, owing to the attacks of the codlin moth on Delicious apples, the export from Auckland totalled only 53,360 cases against 116,769 cases in the previous year. Immediately after the storm growers concentrated all their labour on salvaging: those trees that had been blown over, amounting to hundreds in some cases. To effect this heavy jarrah posts were dug in and the trees were lashed securely to them. The surrounding soil was also well stirred to encourage growth. Some orchardists, in order to encourage new feeding root growth, gave the trees a liberal application of quick-acting manures. Where the trees were lighter pine posts were driven in. Old ,and heavy trees were in many cases given up as a bad job and will eventually be replaced.

Taking the three main areas separately Oratia appeared to have suffered most, and the apple losses there were estimated variously from 30 to 60 per cent, with little chance of any crop with some varieties. A number of the newer plantations got badly smashed, especially those in that most susceptible stage at about five years. The Henderson orchards win probably show less ultimate damage than those at Oratia, but there again the damage will probably be as much as 30 per cent. At Huapai, owing to the closer shelter and the proximity of high hills, the damage was stated to be estimated at about one-fifth of the anticipated crop. Several problems confront the orchardists throughout the affected area, the chief of which, apart from the immediate loss, being the ultimate effect on the trees. There is still sufficient sap to keep leafgrowth, but many trees are expected to suffer next year and even later. Those that were blown over had their root system severely damaged and are likely to be unbalanced from a nutrition standpoint. This aspect of the problem can be revealed only with time.