TIMARU WOOL CHEQUE GROWTH OF CITRUS INDUSTRY IN POVERTY BAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19892, 21 March 1939, Page 15

TIMARU WOOL CHEQUE

GROWTH OF CITRUS INDUSTRY IN POVERTY BAY

FIFTY YEARS AGO SOME EARLY PLANTINGS REPONGAERE IN 1887 DEVELOPING THE' ORANGE EQUAL TO BEST? IMPORTED More than 50 years ago the Gisborne district was growing oranges and lemons on a commercial scaie, and since then the industry lias developed to one of great importance, Poverty Bay being regarded as one of the most suitable districts in the Dominion for citrus culture. From the first four acres of ciLI rus trees, mostly lemons, planted in i Repongaere in 1887, the area under citrus planting in the Gisborne district has grown to 50 acres with a total of 4887 trees and an output during the past season of 8150 bushels. The sweet orange occupies an important part in the industry, and approximately one-third of the citrus trees in the "district are of this type, some of them being equal in every respect with the best imported. A very interesting summary of the development and progress of the citrus industry in Poverty Bay was prepared by Mr. P. Everett, Government orchard instructor at Gisborne. First Commercial Orchard The first citrus orchard to become established for commercial purposes in Poverty Bay, according to Mr. Everett's information, was situated at Repongaere, and was planted by the late Mr. Chambers about 1887. The orchard was about four acres in extent. There were about 25 seedling orange trees, the remainder of the area being planted with lemons. From all accounts, the orchard re-1 ceived poor cultural attention, but l nevertheless produced heavy crops for a number of years. .

The orchard was ruined by a severe

flood in 1910, a few remaining trees being killed by a further flood in 1914. Fruit from this orchard was, shipped to Dunedin in 1905, and possibly in earlier years. Also, about 1910, considerable quantities of treeripened lemons were shipped to Frimley's factory at Hastings. Plantings at Ormond

Another old citrus orchard is lha\ planted by the late Mr. W. 1. r-ei-cnell at ormond in 1891. Tne citrus portion of this orchard consisted o. oO orange trees and lbO lemon trees, i'fte number of these trees that now remain are 50 orange and la, lemon, i'ne orange trees are believed to have been raised by the late Mr. H. Bull, Gisborne, on seedling sweei. orange stocks. The varieties are believed to include St. Michael, Paramatta, Joppa and Washington Navel. For about 16 years after planting the trees were well attended, ana I when mature are reported to have produced heavy crops. In later years, the orchard became neglected and was sown down in pasture, and the area used for grazing stock. This condition has obtained for the greater part of the last 30 years, yet the orange trees continue to produce fai. crops. It is not known whether most of the lemon trees died or were removed, but as the area was sev'erelj flooded at one period, it appears likely that this may have resulted in th. death of the trees. j Dominion's largest orange Tree In various parts of Poverty Bay, there are old citrus trees believea to be of much greater age than either of the' above-mentioned orchards. The old orange trees in particular in many cases, are still producing heavy crops of fair quality lxuit. By far the greater number c these oldest trees are either the St. Michael variety or seedlings from Island oranges. One St. Michael orange tree en the property of Mr. W. Clark Maniituke which is believed to have been planted about 1892 is still in excellent condition and producing heavy crops of medium-sized fruit, despite the fact that it has received no cultivation, irrigation, pruning or spraying for the last 30 years, more or less. The dimensions of this tree are as follows: —Height 24ft; spread 27ft; circumference of trunk, 4ft Bin. The crop in 1938 was estimated at 25 bushel cases of marketable fruit. This tree is believed to be one of the largest, if not the largest, sweet orange tree in Ne w Zealand. Evidence of this nature indicates the suitability of the district sor' citrus culture. Varieties and Crops The number of citrus trees in commercial orchards throughout Poverty Bay, as recorded during the 1938 j season, is as follows:

Kind No. of trees Lemon 2964 Sweet Orange 1601 Poorman's Orange .. 172 Grapefruit 79 Mandarins „. 42 Sour Orange 29 Total 4887 The approximate total aggregate area planted in citrus trees is 50 ) acres. The estimated percentage of trees of the different varieties of lemons and sweet oranges appears in the next table:— Lemons Per cent. Lisbon 90 Eureka 7 Other varieties 3 Sweet Oranges Per cent. Valencia 20 Washington Navel .... 17 N a velencia 15 St. Michael 10 Best's Seedless 7 Golden Nugget 5 Groverley Navel 5 Ruby Blood 5 Jaffa 4 Other varieties 12 Following is the estimated district commercial production tin bushels) of the different kinds of citrus fruits for the year 1938-39: — Bushels Lemons 6000 Sweet Orange 1500 Poorman Orange .... 500 Grapefruit 100 Sour Orange 30 Mandarin 20 Total 8150 Sweet Orange Quality The quality of locally grown sweet oranges varies according to variety and root stock. Many of the elder trees are producing fruit of relativelj poor quality, and the same might be said of many trees planted during U. past 15 years. There are, however, sweet oranges produced in the district that are believed to be equal in the matters of size, appearance, flavour, juice content and sweetnest with the best imported oranges. From overseas information available, it appears that the sour oranges stock will probably prove most suitable for orange culture in this di.trict. So far as is known there are no orange trees in the district gr. v ing'on this stock. Also, there is evidence in the district that in son*. instances the quality of sweet orange:, grown on the citronelle stock

inferior to comparable fruit produce on sweet orange stock.