FARM AND STATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2631, 17 September 1902, Page 16

FARM AND STATION.

ANJUTATION. (Continued from page 9.) THE FRUIT INDUSTRY. ITS CONDITION AND PROSPECTS. AN OPINION FROM MR A. MORITZSON.

Few men in Dunedin have given more time and thought to the condition and prospects of the fruit industry than Mr A. Moritzson, and in view of the interest taken in the question at the present time, a representative of this journal waited on him last week and gave him an opportunity to discuss waiters in r nr,<\" t ion with t'^e fruit ;-ac'e, a view to the publication of his remarks.

Mr iloiLtzsoii p.r-i.-md to let the interview take the form of a narrative of a recent tour through the fruit-growing districts of Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, and finally; through New Zealand. Staiting at Hobart, ho said he had visited over 100 orchards in the Huon and New Norfolk districts, and also attended the sales of fruit in Hobart, and inquired into the provisions of the Fumigation and Insect Pests A«f> of "that State. Last ypar he found that Tasmania produced something like 800,000. eases of fruit, of which 350,000 were shipped to London. The industry there meant considerable wealth to the island, and the growers made a special study of it. The Government strictly enforced the law dealing with the codlin moth and other insect pects, and although the codlio moth was in existence there, it was kept in check, with the result that nearly all the orchards were clean, and only sound fruit was allowed to leave the -country. The fruit was sent from, the various orchards in small craft down the rivers, and the greater portion was put up to auction, where the buyers and shippers attended every morning. Victoria, New South Wales, and New Zealand all imported fruit from Hobart, and before it left the colony it had to undergo a process of fumigation. Each shipment waa accompanied by a fumigation certificate given by a Government officer. The oodlin moth was kept down by spraying and bandaging, and the date that the bandages have to be removed is advertised by the Government. When they are taken off the trees, they are either burned or boiled to destroy the larvae. The ground was inteneely cultivated, and no undergrowth allowed. Further precautions were taken, and perhaps a month later tho children on the farm and others went through the orchards and picked any fruit that might be "stung" by the moth. This was immediately boiled for the pigs. In each district there was a private evaporator, and any fruit affected by the "bliok spot " or the codlin moth is taken out of -the orchards to the evaporator, the farmer receiving about Is 6d for every 401b or 501b. The apples were peeled, cored, and sliced by machinery, evaporated, and packed in 501b cases and shipped to Australia. For this fruit 4±d to 4^d per lb iB obtained. Since* the operation of the Federal tariff, as much as 6d per lb ha« been obtained. The quality of this fruit is superior to anything that comes from America or Europe. All Tasmanian fruit is now packed and shipped in "dumps" — a size of case adopted by the Horticultural Conference in Australia and New Zealand, although the size has not yet been universally adopted in New Zealand.

The apples are grown in large quantities that you can get almost unlimited quantities of each variety. The principal apples grown in Tasmania are the scarlet pprrnain, Sturmcr pippin, stone pippin, New York pippin, French and perhaps one or two other varieties, while in New Zealand orchards you come across from 20 to 50 varieties, and not sufficient of any to cope with export or large lines of any variety. Growers in Tasmania are, as a rule, satisfied if they can g6t 3s 6d to 4s per case at the auctions in Hobart, which leave* them about 3.s clear, or close on Id per lb; and tin's, they maintain, pays them handsomely. The demands from Australia have been so largo this year that they are getting from 7s to 8s at the auctions, and even higher prices. Heavy shipments have been required for New South Wales, where there has been no crop of any description this year, owing to the drought. Rasps, plums. cherries, peaches, apricots, and other small fruit are also cultivated in large quantities in Tasmania.

A great deal of the soft fruit is pulped and sulphurised. This sulphurised fruit Ts used by the local jam factories, tho process adding Id per lb to the cost. The bulk, however, is parboiled or^- pulped in hundredweight tins, and made into jam during tho year when required, or shipped to England for the same purpose. In Victoria and South Australia also fairly large quantities of apples, peaohes, and apricots are grown. These aleo have been put on the English market, and found great favour. The codlin moth is kept dov.o in the same way as in Tasmania The winegrowing industry is well established, and Mr Moritzson visited several vineyards and

nunda district. Another industry of considerable magnitude in both Victoria and South Australia is the growing of currants, raisins, prunes, peaohes, and apricots, which have been tried and found favour in Australia and New Zealand. Mr Moritzson carefully examined the Renmark ar.d Mildura goods, and found that the currants are finer then anything that comes from. Zanto and Cephalonia, in Greece. The sultanas, muscatels, and elemes are as fine as anything that comes from the Mediterranean. Figs have not been grown to perfection. Apparently tho right fig has not been brought out : but some orchardists say that the insect whioh crosses two varieties to make the true fig is absent from tho co.lony. Mr Moritzson understands that it is to bo introduced shortly. Small quantities of these dried fruits find their way to Xovv Zealand, and tlio fact that very little i=s landing now is owing to the Federal tariff, for Renmark and Milduia have not been able to supply the Australian demands. While in Adelaide, Mr Moritzsco saw some pears in the month of September which camo out of the cool store as fresh as they wont in, six months before.

In New South Wales, he \isited feveral hundred citrus fruit growers in the Parramatta district, in the province of Cumberland, vhero somo 8000 fruitgrowers aro at work. This year, New South Wales has hardly any crop at all. Owing to the drought, the oranges are as small as marbles. Very little fruit is arriving here, and what is coming is of very poor quality. The bulk of the peaches and apricots are* grown along the banks of the Hawkcs-bury River, and when, they are in bloom, the eye rests on fruit blossom for miles along tho river. The cultivation amongst the New South Wales citrus fruit growers is very intense. The chief troubles of the orchardists are to resist the "black mildew," the silver scale, and the fruit fly. The Government is very stiiot in keeping the pest down, and all the cirrus' fruit exported from Sydney must be fumigated. Nearly all the fruit goes iato the Sydney auction rooms, and is treated the same way by buyers and shippers as in Tasmania. In New South Wales the citrus fruit growers generally have two crops, and sometimes the blossom of a third may be seen on the tree.

Arriving in Auckland, Mr Moritzson spent several weeks in that province, going to Whangarei and most of the fruit-growing districts. Grapes are grown in< various places, and wine is manufactured. Of oourse the industry- is on nothing like the footing that it is on in Australia, but this is largely due to want of capital and brains, boch of which are absolutely essential to success. The climate of Auckland bo favours the codlin moth . that two broods are hatched out during a season. There is no doubt that the Auckland grower is at a disadvantage compared with the southern grower ; but this is the more reason why he should either fight the pest or leave apple-growing alone. Citrus fruits are grown to great advantage in the Auckland district, and also to some extent in Poverty Bay. For several years an attempt has been made to enforoe an orchard and garden pests act in New Zealand. The Government enforced these precautions against outside colonies, whence fruit must arrive in a clean condition, or it is destroyed. The net has never been enforced in New Zealand, and the Auckland fruitgrowers have been opposing it for years past, thinking -that by having this bill forced upon them the industry would disappear. Mr Aloritzßon believes it would have a contrary effect, as he has been over several of the orchards in the district whioh are absolutely clean, or at anyrate where the codlin moth is kept in check, while in other orchards he found very little cultivation outside the orchards, and acres upon acres overgrown with brocm, gor.se, and wild quick-hedges — a veritable harbour for insect pests. Seeing that the price of apples at certam times of the season is very low, it would be in the interests of the giowers to put clean fruit into the market to enable them to get a fair price. If once the pest was checked, there is no great trouble to keep the orchard clean. Intense cultivation and a little extra work and labour will do the thing, and it is done with Bucc°s,s ill other countries. By allowing this bill to become law, the Government have no intention of being oppressive. Their numerous pomologists, who travel tho whole of New Zealand, will be able to a;Si=t the grower m eradicat.og the pe>>t.

Leaving Auckland, Mr Montzpon vi<-itp<l Napier, and went to the well-known orchards of Frimley and Tarradale. Both these orchards are very closely cultivated Very little, if any, pest is about, which 1^ apparently due to the country being open, and without undergrowth Frimley is famous for its peach orchard, 90 acres being planted with peach trees. The owcior has now broken up another 40 acres for tho same purpose Unfortunately the fr^st took all the peaches la>t year, and none weio available for sale, except those grown in the home orchard — about 15 acres altogether, which did not suffer from the frost. Tarradale also produces great quantities of fruit, and in both those places the vine is also cultivated and wine manufactured, but not in large qua'ititicp. At Tarradale there is 29,000 gal in th<» cellars. Fruit is grown more or less in the Wellington and Taranaki jayaviacg^ but it v QOnguu&d loo*Uy. ,

Marlborough. produces fairly large quantities of apples, peaches, and aju-icots. Althoughthe codlin moth is veiy strong xi this province, it is fairly well kept down. Any surplus fruit from Marlborough goes to Wel« hngton. In Nelson province Mr Moritzstm ?r>e n t about a fortnight, and visited 300 orchards, most of whioh are famous for their elo3© and inttose cultivation. The Government pomolcgist has done a great deal to encourage the gi owing of all classes of fruifl and to keep the orebarfb clean. A pulping and cinning factory was lately stmted at Motuoka, which district al->ne produced 400 tons of rasps laft year. These sold from.' Id to 2£d. Tho bulk of the surpln- fruifc from these provinces goe3 to Wellington, Christchuieh, and Duoedin.

In Canterbury Mr Moritzson visited, amongst others, tho Styx orchard and the Ap.^r.) f:ir:n. and wlicre good varieties of apples ace grown. Several trial -hipmenta h»vt> been sent to England, but havo not proved a success. In Otago, of course, as ip wrll known, the principal fruit-growing district is at Teviot. Tho orchards are very clean, and areat labour is bestowed on the industry. The codlin moth was very vexatious at one time, and unfortunately, instead of figliling the pe<*t<», the orchardists cut down their trees. But they have now begun to grow apples again. Peaches and apricots grown in this district can hold their own with those grown in any part of the colony or in Australia. The fruit industry in the Teviot district could bo vastly extended if tho Government would cut up the Moa Flat estate, which is entirely suitable for the purpose, and would assist the .Law-rence-Roxburgh railway. At t!ie preseljti time "the fruit is carried 48 miles from Roxburgh to Lawrence. This is done at night, over rough roads, and -the fruit, gets. -a thorough shaking up, which does not improve the quality on its arrival.- The trucks are loaded in the morning at Lawrence, and? the fruit arrives in Dunedin at midday % and is disposed of on the following morning: The Heriot-Edc-ndale railway is not much us© to the Teviot people, as ifc is onlyseven miles less than the distance to Lawrence. . By way of comparison, Mr Moritzson stated that the finest apple orchards are in the Now Norfolk district, Tasmania, whore several of the growers put out as many as 30 000 cases in the season. The finest peach orchard is Frimley' s, Hawke's Bay, which is better than anything in New South Wales. The New Zealand Government had done everything possible to raise the standard oE fruitgrowing by teaching the growers, through the (rovernment pomologists, what it was necessary for them to know. The area under fruit oultivatioh in tho colony wbs mcreasimr year by year, but, unfortunately, the distribution was" in a bad way indeed. All over the colony in the various centres there waj? either a fea-st or a famine. There wa3 sufficient fruit to go round at cf rtain eesßcms if it was properly distributed, but unc.er the prer-ent methods some markets won d be glutted, while others had none. It woultJ b" well for the Agricultural Department, who took a lively interest in the industry, to call a conference at an early date of practical men and of business men in the vanou*> eertres who had rxperienoe m distribution With very little expense, ths Government could introduce a system on the lines which had been s=o successful in tho dairy industry. All the fruit-growing centres should have canning, pulping, and evaporating plants, to be run on the co-operative prTnciple, tho shares to be taken up by the growers themselves. The Government could lend assistance if necessary in obtaining cheap money. The plans and buildings should be uniform all over the colony, and so should the got-up of the goods to ba placed on the market. Speaking in regard to the shipment of c itrus fruit from the various Pacific island*, including the Cook group, Mr MoritzFon said that there was a great want of f.^op;r organisation. A faster steamer PMvire wa-i rpquired; tlio ve?=t>k to ha\e well-ventilated holds: the fruit to be packed in tiers wit'i battens to alow of the circulation of the air In addition to this, regular calls ?houl<l be made at the islands. The Auckland oichardi.sta complained th.tt the fruit iva"? allowed to oome in from the Cook Ir.'anda without insp< ction. There wa= no reason why it '-horld not be fumigated at the port cf shipment.

Mr Moritzion gave credit to the Agricultural Department for having done everything in their power to assist the fruitgrowers of the country, and they should 1 ° nu.portr;! by the various Horticultural Societies, of which there were about 100 in tiie colony. A Xatioiial Horticultural Society for New Zealand had now been foimed- as the outcome of the last conference held in. Dunedin. Th:3 society should bo of greatt benefit to the fi nit industry within the next few year-!.