SUB-TROPICAL WEATHER

Taranaki Daily News, 7 March 1935, Page 4

SUB-TROPICAL WEATHER

NEW PLYMOUTH EFFECTS POMEGRANATE BEARS FRUIT. THE SEASON THAT “WENT WRONG.” VEGETABLE SHORTAGE SERIOUS. New Plymouth has "gone tropical.” The latest evidence that the year’s weather has been as remarkable as any within living memory is a pomegranate tree in the garden of a Fillis Street resident which, after years of struggling for a doubtful sort of existence, has at last borne an abundant crop of fruit set from the brilliant red blossom that had until now come to nothing. Following the incident of the banana tree- on Baines Terrace that astonishingly bore fruit earlier in the year, this latest evidence of a season that “went wrong” made one New Plymouth gardener keen on growing exotics remark whimsically last night that he was sorry he had no paw-paw tree in his garden just to see what would have happened. Referred to Mr. T. Horton, superintendent of Pukekura Park, the news that the lone pomegranate had borne fruit brought the comment that, although fruiting of the species was by no means unique in the north, it was a rather remarkable occurrence for Taranaki. “All sub-tropical things have done well here this year,” said Mr. Horton? “The heat and the drought conditions have brought them on admirably. As far as the park is concerned, we haven't many plants in that category, but I know many instances of sub-tropical species doing exceptionally well in private gardens.” Among species mentioned that had been particularly favoured by exceptionally hot, dry conditions were the various plantations of red flowering gum, which have revelled in a climate astonishingly like that of their native Western Australia.

But if temperatures in the high eighties and long spells of dry weather have made gardening interesting for the enthusiast and collection more than usually interesting for the entymologist—there have been many queer species of insects foreign to the district found, too —“going tropical” is going to have its repercussions in the household from now on. The shortage of vegetables reported some weeks ago is now more serious than ever. One leading fruit and vegetable dealer yesterday predicted record high prices for nearly every kind of vegetable at New Plymouth this winter. Local crops, he said, had almost com-? pletely failed, and the kinds of green stuff usually to be obtained more or less plentifully at this time of the year were now utterly unprocurable locally. Owing to increased consumption the prices of lines not seriously affected by the drought would increase also. Fruit, too, was likely to be dear. Importations are at present being made from Auckland, and costs of quick transport add approximately 25 per cent to the retail price. Embargo on certain sorts of imported fruit, notably oranges, continues to keep the price almost prohibitive. Oranges that once cost 8s per case now cost £2.