LOCALLY-GROWN FRUIT

Otago Witness, Issue 3337, 27 February 1918, Page 36

LOCALLY-GROWN FRUIT

A COMPARISON IN PRICES. As far as can be ascertained, fruitgrowers, especially those in Otago Central, are experiencing a very satisfactory season, more particularly as regards stone fruit, but these remarks have application to tho prices ruling for all kinds of fruit. So far there have beon no gluts on the market, as was Hke case during the past few years, nor is there likely to be any this season. In previous years at this time peaches have been sold in the auction rooms in Dunedin at lid to lj>d per pound. This vear prices have ranged from to 9(1 per lb. In other words, peaches which were worth from 3d to 3id last, year have been selling at from 4d to &id this season. The prices of apples have shown quite as great an improvement —from the point of view of the growers. Last year pears were f,old at from 3s 9d to 4s 6d per dump case (401 b), and this year they have brought from 7s 6d to 9s 9d. Tomatoes have been of ' exceptionally good quality this season so far. and better prices have ruled than in former years. Tomatoes which brought from 2fd to last year realised from 4d to 63d this month. The tomatoes have been singularly freefrom disease. Those grown in Central Otago are unquestionably the best in the matter of quality which come on the Dunedin market, and each year sees a marked improvement in this respect. It must be assumed that the severe frosts experienced there destroy the pests which would otherwise interfere with tln-m.

Although disease in tomatoes has been absent, tree fruit has not been so fortunate. Peaches have suffered a good deal from what is known as brown rust, or brown rot. This can. however, bo successfully controlled by systematic spraying with what is known as tlie self-boiled lime-sulphur spray, the ingredients being: Sulphur 81b. lime 81b, water 50 gallons. This should be applied one month after the petals have fallen, and again about a month- beforo the fruit is ripe. A good deal of black snofc is noticeable on apples arurl pears coming on the market. This is probably due to the heavy rainfall which has been experienced, and to the humid' climatic conditions prevailing. A good deal of shot-hole fungus has also been noticed this year on apricots. This also is attributed to the wet season. Theso drawbacks, however, have been largely discounted by the good prices—quite 25 per cent, better than those of 1917 —and the good crops of all kinds of fruit.