FRUIT RESEARCH WORK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17453, 30 December 1930, Page 6

FRUIT RESEARCH WORK

GISBORNE’S OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT TRIALS POSSIBLE VALUABLE RESULTS EXPECTED Experimental work with Government supervision will be possible in Gisborne orchards . under a new plan of fruit research investigation recently considered by the executive of the New Zealand b'rui tgrow er s ’ Federation. No definite move has been taken yet by Gisborne orchardists, blit it is expected that before long a sub-committee will -be set up ” ,to. make suggestions to the plant- research station in Palmerston North regarding possible lines for investigation in the, district. The new scheme is following up the recent. move in establishing an experimental orchard in Nelson.- It is realised, no doubt, that Nelson conditions' in all cases.are not those of the remainder of the' fruit growing . areas in the Dominion, and that some means are necessary to-give each district an opportunity to combat any problems peculiar to its own area

NO URGENT GISBORNE PROBLEM Provision is made for the setting up of sub-committees’ in each district with the orchard instructors-as chairmen and convenors. These’ coliimittees will consider suggestions, in their- turn making, recommendations to the plant- research station, the staff of which will decide whether any . real, benefit' wjll -be derived from carrying out .the. works,.recommended in the districts from which applications are mado.

Apparently, the scheme is to provide for . each district to carry out experiments on problems peculiar to those particular localities. At present, Gisborne has no really urgent problem that is not noticed in auy other district, but there may be lines of investigation that could be carried out here profitably. The new system of long pruning, it is thought, would be particularly advantageous to both Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay districts, but, if experiments were carried out in Hawke’s Bay, they- would not need to be conducted hero as well, for Hawke’s Bay conditions are almost identical with those ruling here.

In citrus fruit growing, there would probably bo more opportunity for experimentation here than *in any other branch- of, the industry, for, apart from Tauranga and Auckland, Gisborne is the only commercial citrus growing district in the Dominion. THE GISBORNE COMMITTEE

No doubt all matters in connection with the scheme will be considered at the next 'meeting of the Poverty Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association, which will elect- a committee, to co-operate with the Government orchard instructor, Air. P. Everett.

It is not proposed to set aside any particular area for investigation purposes. This scheme, apparently, is for experiments to be carried out on any property where tlie conditions' would be the most suitable for experimentation work. For .instance, if the control of black spot is under consideration, an orchard where this disease is the most rampant and where conditions most favor its development would be chosen, while, if codlin moth was to form another phase of investigation, another orchard where the codlin is doing the most damage would be the most logical point of activity In' this respect.' Such experiments would be supervised by tire orchard instructor.

The costs of the experimentation work will be shared by the Department of Agriculture, which .will contribute the services and travelling expenses of the orchard instructor, and the federation, which will bear the cost of all material.

Reports of the investigations will be forwarded to the plant research’ station, from which a full report will be issued through the Director of Horticulture after all data has been studied and analysed. Information of much value is expected to result from the scheme.