FRUITGROWERS' REQUIREMENTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2715, 28 March 1906, Page 8

FRUITGROWERS' REQUIREMENTS.

CHRISTCHURCH, March 25

A deputation from the Fruitgrowers' Association waited upon the Minister of Lands las.t night to urge the establishment of a fruit experimental station, the reteation of the present duty on imported fruit, the admission of grapes at Id per lb duty, and the more careful handling of fruit on the railways. The Minister said it was not possible at present to give growers a Government experimental station. He was in favour of the second and third requests, and would bring the matter of the rough handling of fruit before- the Minister in charge of the Railway Department. He expressed regret that the present high prices for fruit were due to middlemen's charges.

The summer throughout New Zealand has been so bad for apples that it has been found impossible (says the New Zealand Times) to send any trial shipments to London under the Government guaramtep of Id per lb to exporters. Inquiries made through the High Commissioner regarding tho prospects of the Home market for apples elicited a reply that the outlook is rather promising this year. The failure of the New Zealand crop is therefore to be much regretted. As the Government guarantee holds good for three years, it is hoped that next season's crop will be more favourable, so that the Home market may be thoroughly tested by growers in this colony.

Mr T. W. Kirk, Government Biologist, visited Timaru on Tuesday, taking with him a further consignment of ladybirds for fighting the blight which has made such havoc among the bluegum plantations of South Canterbury. Those taken down previously have multiplied satisfactorily, and Mr Kirk hopes that in time thcjJ will be able to control tho gumtr^e blight. The Auckland Agricultural Department has commenced sending codlin moth grubs over to California. The State Board of Horticulture in California has been breeding codlin moth parasites, ?nd Mr W. A. Boucher, the New Zealand Government's pomologist for the North Island, recently inquired regarding the possibility of securing some for New Zealand. Tho reply was not encouraging. It suggested £1000 for ten or a dozen colonies of the parasite, and pointed to the difficulty the Californian experts have in getting sufficient food at certain seasons of the year to keep the parasite alive. Mr Boucher at once realised that New Zealand could supply the codlin moth grub just_ when it was wanted in California, and his offer to send some was eagerly accepted. Officers of the department were sent round infected orchards to gather the codlin moth. Some of the orchardists thought the officers had taken leave of their senses, but gave them a cordial reception and made them welcome to all the grubs they could find. Some tens of thousands were collected and duly sent off to San Francisco. Should the consignment materially help the Californian experts in their work of breeding the parasite it may greatly alter their idea of the coet at which they can supply New Zealand with a consignment of the codlin moth enemy.

It has been proposed to ship 800,000 cases of apples from Tasmania to England this season, but, owing to the partial failure of the crop, the amount is reduced by half.

Some of the tomato crops in the Feilding district are rather seriously affected with a. disease which seems to be akin to the potato blight.

A magnificent truss of lilium auratum grown by Mr S. T. Bolton, Raven sbourne, is at present on view in Messrs Howden and Moncrieff's shop window in Princes streets The truss comprises about 150 blooms set closely together in pyramidal form, measuring 14- inches in diameter and 22 inches in height, and was cut from a single stalk 6ft. high. The plant was grown in an open border outdoors, and received no special attention beyond being securely etaked to guard again.sfc damage from wind. Although larger individual blooms are common enough, the truss referred to is said by experts to bo by far the finest of the- kind ever seen here. One enthusiast was co pleased with it that he promptly offered the grower a guine-a for the exhibit, but the offer was declined, the i,vo?;cT preferring to let the public have the benefit of it, a favour which, it is needless to say, is being fully availed of by passers-by, one of whom remarked yesterday that Nature, may not

indulge in a similar fancy again for a. number of years.