Cook Is. Citrus Fruits

Efforts to Improve the Industry

From Our Own Correspondent.

Rarotonga, Jan. 14.

CITRUS fruits shipped from the Cook Is. for the past few years have not been too satisfactory, but strenuous efforts are being made to place the industry on a basis by which it will be possible to supply the New Zealand market with high class citrus fruits. Various planters—the Cook Islands Trading Co. in particular—have imported a large number of specially selected varieties of oranges, lemons, and grape-fruit, which are now coming into bearing. These plantings of new trees combined with the pruning, spraying, and cultivating of the existing trees, will result in Cook Is. citrus fruits being produced under simi lar conditions of cultivation as those pertaining in Florida, California (U.S.A.), and other pro gressive citrus growing districts.

The Cook Islands Trading Co. has two plan tations at Rarotonga on which a considerable amount of citrus development has been made along lines generally in advance of anything yet attempted at the Cook Is. High-class cuttings have been imported from California and else where, planted out, cultivated and carefully

watched. Comprehensive data will thus be avail able for those interested in the rehabilitation of existing orange trees, and the more scientific raising of citrus fruits generally.

Up to the present the native trees have been the sole source of supply of oranges for export v The fruit from these trees ripens during the severest part of the New Zealand winter, when the marketing conditions are in their most un favourable state. In addition to this the oranges, while they are wonderfully juicy and well flav oured, are not particularly good carriers and the percentage of loss on their arrival in N.Z. is usually very high. The object of the experi mental plantings is to introduce varieties of oranges which will ripen earlier than the exist ing native ones, and also oranges which will mature after the native crop is finished. By this means it is hoped to extend by several months the local orange season, allowing the early varieties to catch the end of the N. Zealand summer market and the very late varieties the spring. It is hoped, in this way, to secure bet ter average prices for the season as a whole.

On the Cook Is. Trading Co.’s plantations par ticular attention has been given to the intro duction of oranges of good carrying properties.

Washington Navels have been selected for the early varieties and Late Valencias for the end of the season crop. Experimental plantings also have been made with Mediterranean Sweet, Norris Early and Lue Gim Gong. These have been carried out on a variety of root stocks, so that later on valuable information will be available both as to the most suitable oranges to plant and the most satisfactory root stocks on which to have them budded. In addition to this con siderable plantings have been made of grape fruits and lemons, including the Meyer variety of lemon. In almost every instance the choicest varieties of Californian citrus trees have been introduced, so that the finest and best grade of fruit may be expected when the trees reach a commercial bearing stage.

By means of cultivation, manuring, and the planting of suitable breakwinds, young Washing ton Navel trees scarcely three years old are already in bearing. Also Late Valencias of the same age are in quite good bearing, the fruit of which obviously will ripen many months after the Washington Navels. Two-year-old grape-fruit trees and Meyer lemons of the same age are in heavy bearing, the latter now up to 12ft. in height showing extraordinary vigorous growth.

The company’s plantations are open to all visitors to the island. A striking feature of the work accomplished is the rejuvenation of a num ber of old native trees which have been allowed to remain about the plantations. These when taken in hand were frowsy looking, moss-grown, dying trees, but after careful treatment and suit able cultivation are now in a state of extremely sound growth and in heavy bearing.

The whole area of the young plantations is under constant cultivation, and until the trees come into full bearing tomatoes, bananas, pineapples and watermelons are cropped between the young trees. Two or three years hence these crops will be discontinued and the cultivation devoted entirely to the citrus trees themselves.

The citrus areas have been divided into blocks by means of breakwinds.

A citrus nursery has been established at the plantations where large numbers of rough lemons, and sour and sweet orange root stocks are being raised and budded from the best developed trees of each of the foregoing varieties.

This experimental work is attracting the atten tion of native growers, who visit the plantations regularly and have been much impressed at the short space of time in which these imported trees have come into bearing. Already many of the company’s clients have expressed a wish to be supplied with similar trees, while several of them have made plantings which are develop ing very well.

It is certain that this pioneering work will eventually result in the growing of citrus fruit at Rarotonga under approved methods, and the time is rapidly approaching when some really high-class and dependable citrus fruits will he supplied to the New Zealand market.