CHRISTMAS FRUIT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18581, 15 December 1934, Page 4

CHRISTMAS FRUIT

BIG IMPORTED SUPPLY BANANAS AND ORANGES LOCAL CROP PROSPECTS Large quantities of imported fruit have been brought into Gisborne during the past few days in readiness for. the Christmas period. The coastal boats from Auckland on Thursday and yesterday 'brought big orders of bananas and oranges, while the overland service also- was .piled high with bananas when it arrived on Thursday night. The arrivals of bananas this week were stated by a leading fruiterer to-day to be the largest this year.

Many of the imported oranges have been brought from Jamaica, West Indies. Trial shipments were sent last season, and have been followed this summer by fairly substantial quantities.

Tomatoes, which were brought from Auckland this week, included the first of the season’s grown in the open. Up till now the consumers have depended upon hot-house tomatoes, and most of these have been secured from Auckland,

This week, the first of the Gisborne tomatoes grown in the open were put on the market, but as the first picking comprised only a few pounds the effect on prices was negligible. Gisborne usually has to depend on Auckland for tomato supplies- until Christmas, oy which time local crops are bearing heavily enough to cope with ail local demands. Crops in Gisborne are- a little more forward this season, but probably arrivals from Auckland will continue over the next week or 10 days. Very few next season’s apples will be available before Christmas this year, and in this respect Gisborne is more backward than last year. However, there are ample cold stored supplies for the ‘local demand until the orchards are able to provide sufficient new season’s fruit.

Stone fruit is becoming plentiful. Plums have been available in large quantities lately, and some have even been dispatched to Wellington to relieve the possibility of a- glut here.