MARKET CONDITION OF LOCAL FRUIT AND VEGETABLES.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume VI, Issue 2, 15 February 1913, Page 250

MARKET CONDITION OF LOCAL FRUIT AND VEGETABLES.

The Fruit Inspectors of the Orchards and Gardens. Division report as follows on the condition of locally grown fruit and vegetables, in the shops and auction-rooms, and the market position of these, for the month of January :

Auckland.—Large quantities of locally grown fruit are. coming forward, for which there is a very fair demand, but few consignments are free from disease. . Black-spot appears to be very bad, nearly every case opened being more or less affected. Codlinmoth is also very plentiful. Growers of the affected fruit have been notified that further consignments of infected fruit will be condemned or destroyed.. The grading and packing is decidedly a great improvement on last month, but there is still a good opening for growers who will pack only the best fruit,-.and advertise their, methods by labelling theii cases. Such growers would eventually get top prices for their fruit, as retailers will not pay good prices for indifferently packed fruit such as has been coming forward. The following list.gives a fair.idea of the ruling prices for the month : Apples (cooking), per bushel, 3s. 6d. to ss. ; 'apples (dessert), per bushel, 4s. to 6s. 6d. ; pears, per bushel, 4s. 6d. to 75.; Japanese plums, quarter-case, Is. to 2s. 6d. ; English plums, 2s. 6d. to 4s. ; apricots, quarter-case, 4s. to 4s. 6d.; peaches, quarter-case, 2s. 6d. to 55.; lemons, first quality, case, 12s. 6d. to 16s. ; lemons, second quality, case, Bs. to 10s. G. Graigie. ' ' • ■ Wellington.—The markets during the month of January were very heavily supplied with practically every line of seasonable fruit and vegetables. ' Very.heavy supplies of stone-fruits came forward. Peaches are coming forward in large quantities almost daily. Formerly they were arriving in very bad order, due to careless packing, but lately they are arriving in tip-top condition. The principal supplies are from Hastings and Motueka. Prices were very low during the beginning of month, realizing Is. 6d. per half-case, but at present are selling according to quality at from 4s. to 4s. 9d., prime 3s. to 3s. 9d., inferior Is. 6d. to 25.. 9d., per half-case. Apricots are. plentiful and cheap, some consignments arriving bruised and with leaves, stem, and spurs left on the fruit, showing careless picking. The lots arriving in good order and well packed realized good prices, 4s. 9d. to ss. 6d., others Is. 9d. to 3s. 6d., per half-case. Cooking-apples (large green) are in good demand at 'ss. to 6s. 6d., others quit at 2s. 6d. to 45., per bushel case. Several lines of : apples which were affected with codlin-moth were destroyed. Nectarines are in good demand, choice lots selling at 4s. 6d. to ss. 9d. half-case, others 2s. 9d. to 4s. >' Pears are not in very good demand. It was necessary to destroy several lines on account of their being badly affected with pear-scab, codlin-moth, and . scale. Prices for dessert, 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. per half-case. Greengages- are firm at 4s. 6d. to 6s. 6d. half-case. Plums are plentiful, and the demand lately is, keen : Choice Burbanks, 2s. to 35.; others, Is. 4d. to Is. 9d. ; Blue Diamonds, 2s. 9d. to 3s. 3d. ;. Early Rivers, 3s. to 45., per case. The market is well supplied with tomatoes, and the prices have eased slightly, being 4s. to 4s. 6d. per half-case; overripe lots quitted at 3s. to ss. per case. Grapes are in good demand ; some consignments opened up in poor order, due to the long delay in transit from North Auckland. These brought 7d. to lid. per pound. Local hothouse-grown realized from Is. to Is. sd. per pound. Black currants continue in excellent demand at 6s. 6d. to Bs. 6d. per half-case. The season is almost over. Gooseberries are almost done, and prime ripe offer -6s. to Bs. per half-case. All vegetables are in good demand, and prices vary according to the supply. ' Vegetable marrows, ss. to Bs. per sack; cauliflowers, ss. to 7s. 6d. per sack, choice 7s. 6d. to 9s. • carrots, per sack, 6s. to Bs. ; white turnips, ss. to 6s. 6d. per sack; swedes, ss. to 6s. ’per sack ; parsnips, 6s. to 7s. per sack; beetroot, ss. to 6s. 6d. per sack ; lettuce, Is. 6d. to 2s. 9d. per sack; French beans, 2d. to 3d. per pound ; broad beans, 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. per part sack. Green peas average Bs. to 12s. per pack ; potatoes, 7s. 6d. to 10s. 6d. per cwt. ; pnions, £8 per ton ; cabbages, 7s. to 9s. per sack.T. G. Webb, jun,

Christchurch. Fair supplies of stone-fruits from Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, Teviot, and Auckland were offering in local markets. Local fruits also in fair quantities. A few lots of tomatoes from the Nelson District were also on sale. Vegetables are not so plentiful as last month. A few lots of Australian grapes were landed in inferior condition. Sufficient care did not appear to have been taken in packing, consequently the fruit opened up bruised and not in suitable condition for first-class sale.— E. A. Reid. Dunedin.-Peaches, tomatoes, and plums are coming to hand in good quantities. Raspberries, strawberries, apricots, grapes, red and black currants, and gooseberries are just about over, small quantities only coming to hand. Apples and pears are comingforward in small supplies only. During the month warning notices had to be issued for fruit affected with shot-hole fungus and.codlin-moth. Fair supplies of the followingvegetables are coming to hand in good condition : Potatoes, cabbages, cauliflowers, carrots, lettuce, marrows, turnips, beetroot, rhubarb, beans, and radishes. All shops are well supplied with most varieties of both local and imported fruits, the same being of good quality and condition.—77. T. Taylor. ‘ ■'/ ' ' Bluer.-Locally grown fruit is now arriving in considerable quantities, the majority being grown in Central Otago. During the month fruit arrived from the followingdistricts : Auckland : Burbank plums—A fair quantity in good order. Hawke’s Bay. : Plums—Good condition and clean. Canterbury: Tomatoes, apples," pears,’and raspberries—Good lines of fruit. Otago Central: 'Apricots, peaches, plums, apples, pears, and grapes—A fair quantity is arriving almost daily, and is in the best of condition and clean. A good many growers are represented, and good prices are obtainable. Southland : Cherries, raspberries,. currants,. strawberries, and vegetables— fruitshops were inspected, and the auctions.inspected weekly.-^- Hutton. .