THE FRUIT CROP.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume VI, Issue 2, 15 February 1913, Page 249

THE FRUIT CROP.

The officers of the Orchards, Gardens, and Apiaries Division report as follows regarding the condition of the fruit crop at the end of January:— Whangarei.—Apples, medium crop ; lemons, medium ; nectarines, light; peaches, heavy to medium ; pears, heavy crop ; plums (English), light; plums (Japanese), medium ; oranges, light to medium ; tomatoes, fair crop. Owing to dry spell all fruits are coming off small.— J. W. Collard. ’ Auckland North.—Apples, good average crop ; lemons, looking well; peaches, good crop ; pears, good crop ; plums (English), light to medium crop; plums (Japanese), heavy crop;- tomatoes, looking well. W. C. Thompson. Auckland South. Apples, good crop early varieties, light to good of late varieties; nectarines, good crop; peaches, light to good crop; pears, light crop. Plums (English), good crop; plums (Japanese), light to good crop ; - tomatoes, good crop.— N. R. Pierce. Hamilton. Apples, fair average crop lemons, rather light crop; nectarines, fair average crop ; peaches, medium crop of good quality; pears, good average crop ; plums (English), light crop, but of good quality; plums (Japanese), crop light and below the average ; tomatoes, fair average crop ; walnuts, very poor crop.— T. E. Rodda. Poverty Bay.—Apples, crop little below average ; lemons, poor crop ; nectarines, average crop; peaches, average crop; pears, heavy crop; plums (English), above average crop; plums (Japanese), average crop only; tomatoes, good crop.— W. R. L. Williams. ' . ' Manawatu and Wairarapa. Apples, medium crop; nectarines, good crop peaches, average crop pears, medium crop plums (both varieties), heavy crop; tomatoes, medium crop.— George Stratford. Hastings.—Apples, moderate to light crop ; nectarines, heavy crop ; peaches, heavy crop ; pears, heavy crop ; plums (English), heavy crop ; plums (Japanese), heavy crop ; tomatoes, looking fair; walnuts, very good crop.— J. A. Campbell. Wellington.—Apples, average crop nectarines, poor crop; peaches, poor crop; pears, average to heavy crop ; plums (English and Japanese), heavy crop ; tomatoes, average crop. — C. Webb, fun. ‘ Nelson. —Apples, crop looking well; nectarines, very good crop ; peaches, fair crop ; pears, medium crop; plums (English), very fair crop ; plums (Japanese), not so heavy as usual; tomatoes, crop good ; walnuts, large crop.— J. H. Thorp. Christchurch. —Apples, good crop ; nectarines, light crop ; peaches, light crop ; pears, fair crop ; plums (English), good crop plums (Japanese), fair crop; tomatoes, good crop; walnuts, poor crop.— W. J. Courtier. Timaru.Apples, light crop ; peaches, very light crop ; pears, good crop ; plums (English), fair .crop ; plums (Japanese), light crop ; tomatoes, good crop.— A. B. Mansfield. Dunedin. —Apples, crop looking well, good crop; nectarines, fair crop; peaches, very light crop ; pears, good crop; plums (English and Japanese), very good crop ; tomatoes, crop looking well.— W. T. Goodwin.

Victorian fruitgrowers have booked shipping-space in oversea steamers for 421,683 cases of fruit, an amount which, it is expected, will almost equal that of the export from Tasmania, where the crop is said to be exceptionally light. Of the Victorian bookings-140 ? cases are for the German markets,