FRUIT GROWING: CENTRAL OTAGO VERSUS NELSON.

Otago Witness, Issue 3214, 20 October 1915, Page 9

FRUIT GROWING: CENTRAL OTAGO VERSUS NELSON.

A controversy has been going on in the columns of the Otago Daily Times for some time as to the merits of Otago Central and Nelson as fruit-growing districts. Nelson writers have pointed out that Otago Central is subject in some years to heavy late frosts which affect the growth ioi wheat, while late frosts aro_ unknown m Nelson. When this contention had been replied to a writer advanced the argument that the flavour of apples grown on irrigated land was inferior to that of those grown in Nelson. The following reply appeared last week: — I havo much pleasure in stating that apples grown in Central Otago under irrigation are of superior quality to anything that can bo grown under Nelson conditions, where tho orchardists havo to rely upon tho natural rainfall, which sometimes is too plentiful and sometimes scanty. This last season was a dryer one than usual for Nelson, and produced a fair percentage of under-sized apples. There is nothing like turning on and off your own tap. As irrigation is now carried on scientifically, there should ho no over-irrigation, which is, of course, injurious to fruit growing, but the method of overdoing anything is just as injurious to man and beast as to plant life. There is no danger or difficulty whatever from irrigating orchards provided it is not overdone. Unfortunately, the letter by “Amateur” is apparently the result of a rumour brought about by interested land brokers who are selling Nelson lands, as one of these loyal Otago sons has approached me on the same subject. Surely it is high time that some of our land brokers should be loyal enough to assist in keeping our population in instead of trying to induce them, with hopes which will never be fulfilled, to go to the Nelson district, especially as they have brighter and safer prospects in tho province they live in. The least I would expect of these land agents, of which I am one, . is that they would acquaint themselves with the facts of the case before permitting damaging reports to be circulated. At the outset I wish to state that I am not depreciating the climate of Nelson, nor do I state that Nelson cannot produce good apples at most seasons, but I distinctly and deliberately wish the public to know that Central Otago is producing apples of far superior quality than anything that can be grown in Nelson, or ever will be. Now, this is a very distinct statement to make, and I am prepared to stand by it. I am making this statement from many years’ experience, from coming into close contact with a groat number of the apple-growers in New Zealand for many years past, being the oldest fruit auctioneer in this town, having been connected with the Horticultural Society for many years, and having taken a personal interest in the matter of fruit production. The writer has travelled New Zealand from the Coromandel Peninsula to the Bluff, including both the East and West Coasts, and has made it his business to inspect large numbers of orchards in his peregrinations, and, above all, has been shipping Nelson and Hawke’s Bay apples to South America for the last three ? rears. My experience has taught me that argo quantities of good apples are produced in Nelson and shipped from there, both to South America and to the other markets of New Zealand. My experience has also taught me, however, that large quantities of apples havo been shipped from Nelson which are a disgrace to any fruit district, and should never have been allowed by the Government to leave. Speaking as recently as of the season just passing, wo have received from the Nelson district a large quantity of absolutely rotten apples, and varieties that should not appear in any orchard, for which prices of anything from Is to 4s a case have been realised in tho open market. A very largo proportion of the apples have been under-sized, and are purely “ culls,” and should not havo been sent for salo to the public, but should have been sent to a jam factory. Above all, wo have received two letters at least from our South American friends to whom we havo shipped apples from Nelson this last season, stating that they were disgusted with some of the apples sent from Nelson, as better quality could bo produced in South America. These are very serious allegations, but they are borne out by facts, Ja 1914 we shipped from Nelson close upon 14,000 cases to South America, and this quantity was represented by exactly 40 different varieties. To judge from these figures, one would imagine that there is hardly a commercial orchard in tho district, although we are fully aware that there are a number who glow only a small number of commercial shipping varieties, as should be done. To ccme nearer home, I would refer you to a report, published by the Agricultural Department this year, written by Mr G. L. Tcicon, who investigated the apple_ business in Argentine, Uruguay, and Brazil. Tho reports therein contained, which have been compiled direct from tho lips of tie South American importers, would lead one to bellow; that if matters continue on the same footing the Nelson apples may bo the cause of extinguishing the whole of the Now Zealand trade with the South American countries, as the South American shippers pay a high price for these apples—namely, 7s and 7s°6d per case, f.0.b., Wellington, and the grower receives cash for this fruit, while tho South American importer invariably complains about tho quality, varieties shipped, and the bad and faulty packing. Now, I admit that we have not shipped any Central Otago apples from New Zealand, as tho supply is not sufficient to allow of exports; tout 1 say this, that nearly ail tho Central Otago apples have been sold at from 3d to 3|d per lb in the local market. We have sent them to Canterbury, and received highly eulogistic letters, while, at tho same periods, we have not been ablo to get more than from, ltd to 2-j.d for Nelson apples. No doubt I am met with the reply that tho “best apples do not come to Dunedin, but that tho best arc sent to South America.” That reply will not hold V. ! er, considering the reports from South .America; but, in any case, a number of the apples that have been sent to Dunedin should not have left Nelson for its own

reputation, and I am pleased to say wo do not produce such apples in Central Otago. This year I shipped to the High Commissioner some 20 cases of Otago Central apples to London. It was late in the season; they wore not specially selected; ft was the usual fruit that is sold in the Dunedin market, and, if your readers will be good enough to turn to the report published in yOur paper of October 4, it will give you a brighter aspect of affairs, and there is hope yet that Otago will set the pace and educate the other portion of Now Zealand to oo likewise. I am satisfied, from many years’ close connection with the trade :<n all its various branches, that Otago in a few years will bo looked upon as an example to follow.

Everyone knows the remarks made by Mr Massey in the Homo about fruit-grqwmsr in Central Otago. Ask any of the 16 North Island members who travelled through Central Otago in 1913, and they will tell you that tho finest fruit in Now Zealand is grown there. On October 9 I received a letter from the Hon. Mr Thos. Mackenzie, in London, which was dated August 13, with a communication from tho Army and Navy Auxiliary Co-operative Supply (Ltd.), Victoria street, Westminster, which fully reported on tho apples sent by Tonkin’s trustees, Mr Birch, and the Upper Clutha Fruitgrowers’ Association at . Cromwell, these latter apples being grown in the Cromwell district under irrigation. The report doses with the following remarks: —‘.‘The show attracted considerable attention, especially amongst horticulturists, who aro generally candid critics. Tho fruit elicited great approval, and, taking in account that tho season for colonial apples was over, it was really a fine display, reflecting much credit on the painstaking efforts of the growers and senders, and helping to establish New Zealand as a first-class fruit-growing country.” In the Fruit Grower of August 12, just to hand, there is a fair-sized article on the whole of the exhibit, which is set out in splendid and flattering terms, in which it is said that “some large exhibits, grown by the Upper Clutha Fruit-growers’ Association, Cromwell, Otago, were perfection itself.” That again brings me to the fact that these apples were grown under irrigation, as are also apples by Mr Mackenzie, Mr Kloogh, Mr Debetencor, Mr iSwan, and Mr Towan, all of which reached this market, and wore sent to various parts of New Zealand in perfect condition. They arrived in London in perfect condition at tho tail end of the season, and there is no reason to doubt that they will carry to any port of the world under the same conditions. Apples from irrigated countries, such as the Pacific Coast districts, including Washington, are arriving here in Now Zealand by every steamer from ’Frisco and Vancouver at tho present time. First-class fruit is produced in some irrigated districts in South America. Egypt, and Syria, and, if anybody gets downhearted and is afraid to put in apple trees in Central Otago, let him come to my office and I will show him onions that have been grown this year by Mr Spratt, of Lowburn, and which we sold in the open market at £l4 a ton. I will show him, also, a sample of these, onions which will gladden his heart, and I am bold in saying that a man who will put down an area in onions in the district will make a fortune. They are superior to anything than can bo grown anywhere in New Zealand, Victoria, or on the Pacific Coast of America. This is brought about by our superior climate in Central Otago over any other district in New Zealand If anybody is prepared to take up this challenge, let him come along, and I shall be specially pleased if any replies to this letter will be signed by the writer in his own name, as discussion on this subject will help to educate the people to the true state of affairs. I have lived in Otago for 42 years; I have been on several occasions right through New Zealand, and I say deliberately that the possibilities of Central Otago are not known even by a great number of our own people.—l am, etc., A. Moritzscn. Dunedin, October 1A

Sir, —Your correspondent “ Amateur ” is anxious to know if fruit grown under irrigation is suitable for export. Personally, I can, of my own knowledge and experience, say it is. Two years ago Cox’s Orange apples, grown on my orchard in about the driest part .of Central Otago, where irrigation is in full swing, were shipped in one of the New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamer’s cool cb;-. aiders without any special care regarding temperatures, and these, although they lay for .two weeks in tho docks in London before delivery was taken of them, opened up in fine order and their quality and flavour were all that could bo desired. I believe several shipments from other orchards in Central Otago have been made during recent years, both of irrigated and noil-irrigated fruit, and these have also reached London in prime condition, and have gained medals and orders of merit from the Horticultural Society. I may now give quotations from some authorities who have had large experience in arid districts of apples grown under irrigated conditions. Mr J. S. Bedmayne, M.A., of the British Columbia Government Information Bureau, in his work on Fruit Farming in the dry belt of British Columbia, writes as follows: — Space forbids my going at length into the respective merits of irrigated and noniriigated fruit. Tho flavour of the fruit is a matter of personal opinion. I have tasted equally lino fruit of the same variety grown under each condition. But as to the keeping quality in cold storage tho irrigated fruit is, on tho whole, undoubtedly superior to tho non-irrigated frui®. I think its skin is closer and harder and the irrigated fruit is less liable to bruise and turn brown immediately where bruised than the non-irrigated fruit. The last remark is, of course, only my personal opinion, and I do not lay it down as a dogma. My opinion as to tho superior keeping quality of irrigated fruit is confirmed by Professor Paddock and Mr A. B. Whipple, field horticulturists of tho Colorado Horticultural College and Experiment Station, in their work on Fruit Culture in Arid Legions (page 2511, which reads as follows: “Possibly the grower of fancy fruit in the arid fruit sections docs not fully realise that much of his fruit is held in cold storage during the early part of tho season, and that the high price which ho receives, us compared with prices paid for fruit in other sections is partly due to its superiority as a cold storage product.” The above extracts from tho works of experts who havo made a close study of the subject should bo quite sufficient to

show “ Amateur ” that he need not have the least fear but that those- who have embarked in apple growing in Central Otago will very shortly be reaping a rich reward for their enterprise, and that as soon as the local markets arc satisfied _ they will have a larger field in the world’s markets to cater for at top prices. By the way, at the great Canadian apple show at Vancouver in 1910, 95. per cent, of tha prizes and awards went to irrigated fruit. Perhaps “Amateur” is not aware that Government servants are not allowed to, reply to newspaper correspondents. That is one reason why I have thought it advisable to give him the above information. —I am, etc., A Grower of Export Apples.