There is no question but that the settlement of fruit-growers in this country, especially about the irrigation areas of Victoria and New South Wales,.is creating its own problem. One is reminded of the man who discovered that if he pruned back his passion vines at a certain time he would have fruit to supply at a handsome price to an empty market. He was so pleased that he supplied the information (with photos of my farm, of myself pruning of myself packing the fruit, ete.) for publication He got the honour and glory, but his friends followed his example and between them smashed the market in the coming year. Similarly the fruitgrowers have done too well, and while in 1916-17 they had 177,000 acres producing fruit, in 1920-2] they had 214,500 in bearing, with 65.000 acres coming on. Now there is an over-production. of fruit. The jam-makerg blame the sugar people. but word is coming in from abroad to show that bad business has been done all_over the world.
Upon analysis it is found that the chief fruits concerning. which the growers are suffering from panic are not jam fruits at all. with the exception of plums. The principal increases are in such fruits as apples, bananas, oranges, peaches and pears. It was even suggested that a number of trees should be torn out and the land converted into grazing for sheep. Happily this sort of folly fell flat. The. j manufacturers also threatened not to operate this For the past year profits have been "year, but that effort to cut down
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.