FRUIT-GROWERS' ASSOCIATION.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1789, 7 November 1919, Page 10

FRUIT-GROWERS' ASSOCIATION.

To the Editor of THE SUN. j Sir, —At the monthly meeting of the above association, held on Saturday night, Mr Longton made a vicious attack on the nurserymen of the Dominion. This attack has been long de-1 layed, and should have been delivered! earlier, but the opportune time did notl arrive till the meeting of the association held on Saturday evening. The | burden of Mr Longton's cry was to discount the New Zealand nurserymen and extol the nurserymen of Australia, whoso trees, he stated, were superior to those sold-by the New Zealand nur- ! serymen. He strongly moved to have j the embargo removed against the Australian trees, so that they could again be | imported. Now, sir, it will be in order I if the true position is put to the public, J and leave them to adjudicate upon it. Some years ago the Government, at tlie instigation of the officers of- the HortiI cultural Department, placed an em- ! bargo on Australian fruit trees. This j embargo was justified by the f rui*- ! growers, who at one of the annual conferences carried a motion supporting the I em bargo. So soon as the embargo came into force the Government officers asked : the New Zealand nurserymen to raise quantities of fruit trees to meet the demand, which for a time was very great. Some of the nurserymen at once set themselves out to raise fruit trees, on a large scale, and for a year or two with some profit to themselves, and also to the satisfaction of the planters. With the advent of the War period another story can be told so far as the nurserymen are concerned. With large stocks on hand and a gradually lessening de-! niand, more particularly when the Sec-j ond Division men went into camp, a great accumulation of trees resulted i for which there was but little sale and the experience of some was that, after paying for the raising of trees, further payment had to be made to lift and burn them. So serious was the position at the beginning of laet planting season that representatives of the New I Zealand association interviewed the In-, dustries Commission, informing thq commission that £50,000 worth of apple trees in the New Zealand nurseries were liable to be a total loss to growers unless a market for same could be obtained; that such a market was to be found in South America, but there were no means of getting them there unless the Government subsidised steamers to South American ports. The deputation also pointed out that any superabundance of apples and pears in New Zealand could also be sent at the same time, viz., in April and May months. Thus help would be accorded to both fruit-growers and nurserymen. So impressed with the Industries Commission with the facts presented that they included in their report a strong recommendation to the Government to substeamers to carry ths trees and fruit for which there was no demand in

New' Zealand. The members of the commission were personally impressed with the loss to the community of £50,000 worth of valuable stock if such capital value cannot be marketed. In the discussion which took place at the meeting on Saturday night, the fact of the shortage of stone fruit trees was stressed. That there is, and has been, a shortage for some two years past is quite true. This refers to apricots, peaches, nectarines,' and cherries. The reason for this shortage is that before the War these fruit trees were largely frown, and not only found a market in New Zealand, but quantities were shipped to Australia. As a result of the War the demand for such fruit trees fell away to a minimum, and thousands of such trees were consigned to the fire by those nurseries which carried heavy stocks. It will be understood that such experiences meant a great reduction in the propagation of such trees. A fresh demand has sprung up for all kinds of stone fruits—a very much greater demand than the supply. This shortage will be made good in a very short period, as the New Zealand nurserymen have already made prepartions for a great increase of those trees for which the revived demand has taken place. ' Now, sir, with these facts known, is it likely that the Government will lift the embargo on Australian fruit trees, and allow them to come in, when they have such a strong recommendation from the Industries Commisison to fiud a subsidised outside market for £50,000 worth of apple trees which, unless sold either this year or next, will be consigned to the fire-heap? For two or three generations the fruit-growers and nurserymen have lived happily together, their interests being mutually complementary to each other. Mr Longton and two or three other authorities in different parts of the Dominion have set themselves to disjoin these two interests, and why may be left for explanation in a future letter, if such is ne'eded. Mr Longton stated that the Australian-grown fruit trees were superior to the New Zealand-grown fruit trees. Such a statement is just as silly and untrue as if the New Zealand nurseryman stated that the Australiangrown fruit was superior to that grown by the New Zealand fruit-growers, and, because'superior, should be imported to New Zealand and sold to the public. During the last week there has been held in Christchurchan Industrial Exhibition run by the Canterbury Progress League, to show Canterbury products, and to push the interests of Canterbury. What expression would be most appropriate to use if a member of the Progress League deliberately set out to damn the exhibits and puff! the goods of others who have no interests whatever in Canterbury? Could such an individual be classified as a patriot? With the Fruit-growers' Association I have always had, and still have, the pleasantest relations, and it is to be regretted that they have allowed Mr Longton to influence them.— Tours, etc., EOBERT NAIRN, President, N.Z. Nurserymen's Association.