THE FRUIT CROP.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume VI, Issue 3, 15 March 1913, Page 346

THE FRUIT CROP.

Officers of the Orchards, Gardens, and Apiaries Division report as follows on the condition of the fruit crop at the end of February :

Whangarei.—Apples, medium crop; lemons, medium ; nectarines, light crop ; peaches, medium crop of late varieties; pears, heavy crop; plums (English), light ; tomatoes, average crop; oranges, medium crop.— J. W. Collard.

Auckland North. Apples, good crop; lemons, crop looking well; peaches, fair crop; pears, good crop; plums (English), crop nearly over; tomatoes, nearly done.— 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), crop finished ; tomatoes, good crop. N. R. Pierce.

Hamilton.—Apples, fair average crop, ripening well; lemons, short crop; nectarines, good average crop ; peaches, fair crop, ripening freely; pears, good crop; plums, rather scarce; plums (Japanese), light crop; tomatoes, fair crop; walnuts, very light crop.— T. E. Rodda. ■

Poverty Bay. Apples, crop below average; lemons, poor crop; peaches, good average crop ; pears, heavy crop ; tomatoes, good crop.— W. R. L. Williams.

Manawatu and W air arap a.— Apples, very medium crop; nectarines, fairly good crop ; peaches, good crop ; pears, average crop ; plums, heavy crop ; tomatoes, medium crop.— George Stratford.

Hastings.—Apples, moderate; nectarines, heavy crop; peaches, heavy crop, late varieties suffering from dry weather and rust; pears, heavy crop, some varieties damaged by scab; plums (English), heavy crop, which is almost ended; plums (Japanese), heavy crop, almost ended ; tomatoes, very fair crop; walnuts, good crop. —J. A. Campbell.

Wellington.-Apples, average crop; nectarines, poor crop; peaches, poor crop; pears, average to heavy crop ; plums (English), heavy crop; plums (Japanese), heavy crop; tomatoes, average crop.— T. C. Webb.

Nelson. Apples, good crop ; nectarines, good crop, which is just about finished ; peaches, good crop ; pears, heavy crop; plums, good crop, nearly over; raspberry crop good, but now quite finished ; strawberries, second crop light, and fruit small owing to dry weather; tomatoes, good crop, still picking well. The weather during the month was hot and dry until the 20th, when heavy rain fell. All fruit has come along well, and I should say is quite a fortnight in advance of last season’s.— J. H. Thorp.

Christchurch.-Apples, good crop nectarines, light crop peaches, light crop; pears, fair to good crop ; plums (English), crop nearly over; tomatoes, good crop ; walnuts, poor crop.— W. J. Courtier.

Timaru. —Apples, light crop; pears, fair average crop only; plums (English), harvest almost completed ; plums (Japanese), crop almost done ; tomatoes, good crop ; walnuts, good crop. Owing to the heavy toll taken by the exceptionally severe winds experienced on the 13th and 14th instant, the apple crop is exceptionally light for the district.— A. B. Mansfield.

Dunedin. Apples, good crop, looking very well; pears, good crop ; plums (English and Japanese), harvest practically over; tomatoes, good crop. The heavy winds on the Ist and 13th did considerable damage among fruit-trees, breaking down trees and blowing off apples and pears. A beneficial rain fell in Central Otago on the 20th and 21st.— IP. T. Goodwin.