Fruit-culture

From: New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs Centennial Publications Branch :Maps from Historical Atlas

Reference: MapColl-CHA-7/1/6-Acc.38705

Description: Identifies areas and quantities of wheat and rape; peas, barley, maize; potatoes, fruit and tobacco. Quantity: 3 manuscript map(s) on one sheet. Physical Description: Ink drawing on cream paper. Scale indeterminable. 45 x 63.4 cm Finding Aids: Inventory available.

Date: 16, 30 Sep 1996 - 16 Sep 1996 - 30 Sep 1996

From: A taste of gold oral history project

By: Weaver, Earnscy, 1950-

Reference: OHInt-0446-13

Description: Earnscy Weaver was born in Clyde in 1950. His parents were Charles Earnscy (Earnc) Weaver and Doreen Craig. Describes how his grandfather dredged and sluiced gold and then in the early 1900s began growing cherries, pears, apricots, apples, plums, greengages, walnuts and almonds. Talks about how his grandfather built the original home out of schist. Recalls how his father and his brothers were all involved in fruit growing. Mentions how his father sold half his property in the 1960s because of poor health. Describes going into a partnership with Fay Richwhite and Co which took over his orchard and included it in a development of another one hundred acres of orchard known as Summerfruit Orchards Ltd. Describes how the water rights were taken from mining rights. Comments on the huge importance of water and disputes caused by it. Comments on changes in planting and pruning technique, frost protection and spraying. Mentions hydraulic ladders. Discusses a new style of spraying known as Integrated Fruit Protection (IFP) which involves the use of softer chemicals and targeted rather than blanket spraying. Discusses the use of air freight for transporting fruit. Mentions that his father was a progressive grower. Discusses the role of women in the orchard business. Describes how his grandmother had home help and his mother worked very hard at feeding staff and family several times a day but was not involved in decision-making. Discusses the work of his wife, Irene Weaver, in orchard office administration. Mentions her involvement in decision-making until they both became employees of the company. Describes working on the orchard as a child and the work of some of his own family on the orchard. Comments on his discouraging their orchard work as it is a hard life. Recalls doing a Diploma in Horticulture at Lincoln and working in Hawkes Bay orchards for a year before returning to the family property. Describes working closely with Hort Research. Talks about the Earnscleugh community since World War II and changes in it as orcharding becomes more business minded and competitive. Comments that the planned mining venture will provide an exit from orcharding for those who want to get out. Mentions that mining at Island Block has shown that land impact can be minimal. Discusses in detail varieties of fruit currently grown particularly cherries, apricots and apples. Mentions the limited flexibility in selecting apple varieties because of the control of the Apple and Pear Board. Comments that growers can respond to market demand within four years. Describes networking with growers about varieties they can offer. Discusses the use of brokers who market fruit internationally. Mentions new and developing markets in Asia particularly Bangkok and Taiwan. Talks about the Clutha Valley Export Company (CVE) which markets stone fruit and the Clutha Valley Marketing Group (CVM) marketing pip fruit. Discusses the use of eight permanent staff and two hundred casual workers during the picking season. Mentions payment by piece rates. Talks about diversification into nuts, peonies and other produce. Comments on the importance of the weather. Interviewer(s) - Janis Morgan Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-008572 - OHC-008574 Quantity: 3 C60 cassette(s). 1 transcript(s). 1 interview(s). 3 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - transcript(s) available OHA-2672.

Date: 28 Jul 1996

From: A taste of gold oral history project

By: Duncan, Anne, 1933-; Morgan, Janis, active 1997

Reference: OHInt-0446-02

Description: Anne Duncan was born in Dunedin in 1933. Mentions that her mother was Isobel McArthur from Strath Clyde and her father, Geoff Taylor, grew up on the family orchard in the Conroys Gully area. Gives details about the Taylor family. Comments on the influence of both the Taylor and Dawson grandmothers in establishing the orchard. Describes how Granny Dawson acquired the trees for the orchard by bartering produce. Talks about the location of the orchard. Describes the original house on the orchard, `Rosevale', the cottage and `Knowl Top' which was built in the 1920s. Recalls the vegetable garden, flower garden, tennis courts and shrubbery. Describes how her mother was the main caregiver for the children, cooked for large numbers on the orchard, worked in the packing shed and was active in the local community. Describes how students working on the orchard were treated as family members and became lifetime friends. Recalls tennis parties and swimming at Conroys Dam. Recalls the role of her father in orchard planning and management and his involvement with the DSIR. Talks about his having gone to Ruakura after high school before returning to the orchard. Mentions the orchard was part of the research station at Earnscleugh and he attended meetings in Wellington. Describes how the seven children in the family attended boarding school either at Waitaki Boys High School or Craighead. Recalls helping on the orchard as children, going rabbiting and smashing birds' eggs to reduce the number of birds. Discusses the orchard's reputation for quality over one hundred and thirty years. Mentions that Taylors and Iversons were the first orchardists in the area. Recalls stone cottages built by Chinese miners in the area. Mentions the film `Illustrious energy' which was made in the area. Describes how they began producing the Dawson cherry and gives details of other varieties of cherries. Mentions apricots, peaches and nectarines. Comments on her father's willingness to experiment. Describes cultivation and spraying. Comments on the absence of protective clothing. Recalls the use of frost pots from the 1940s to 1960s to prevent the effects of frost on the fruit. Describes how labour intensive this system was and its replacement by overhead sprinkler systems. Describes how the picking was done with a box being worn around the neck by the picker. Comments on different pay rates for male and female pickers. Describes how fruit was graded and packed. Recalls the beginning of fruit being flown directly from Alexandra to the North Island by Bristol Freighter. Mentions that this no longer happens. Describes the role of Turners and Growers in this process. Discusses how decisions were made on sending fruit to the various markets. Recalls family holidays at Warrington. Interviewer(s) - Janis Morgan Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-008552 - OHC-008553 Quantity: 2 C60 cassette(s). 1 transcript(s). 1 interview(s). 2 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - transcript(s) available OHA-2660.

Date: 18 Jul 1997

From: A taste of gold oral history project

By: Campbell, John Douglas, 1952-; Gough, Elaine, active 1997

Reference: OHInt-0446-01

Description: John Campbell was born in Clyde in 1952. Describes the location of the orchard on Conroys Road bounded on one side by the Black Ridge vineyard. Talks about his father buying the land in 1951, his coming in to the partnership in the mid 1970s and taking the property over in 1980. Mentions attending Massey University and being a fourth generation orchardist. Comments that it is good orchard land because of the mixture of soil types. Describes changes in the role of women on orchards. Notes that the main role of his mother was to cook for staff while his wife runs the packing shed, accounts and is also often outside in the orchard. Comments on new varieties of fruit particularly cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots and apples. Discusses the need to keep up to date with fruit varieties and that the life of a tree is now about fifteen years. Mentions that this requires long term planning. Discusses cultivation, pruning, irrigation, frost prevention, frost and hail damage, spraying, picking, packaging, marketing and the role of advisors. Discusses permanent and seasonal staff. Comments on the increasing amount of fruit exported, the size of orchards and the cost of fruit. Interviewer(s) - Elaine Gough Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-008551 Quantity: 1 C60 cassette(s). 1 transcript(s). 1 interview(s). 1 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-2659.

Date: 24 Oct 1996

From: A taste of gold oral history project

By: Hawkins, James Eric, 1912-2000

Reference: OHInt-0446-05

Description: Eric (Happy) Hawkins was born in Waimate in 1912 and came to Alexandra in 1929. Recalls getting a job with Cliff Kinraid working with the fire pots which helped prevent frost damage. Talks about twelve years of frost fighting before employment with Earnscleugh Research Station which had an emphasis on frost fighting in its early days. Explains the operation of the sprinkler system of frost fighting, which replaced the fire pot system. Discusses the development of varieties of fruit, particularly apricots, by the research station. Discusses crossing varieties, pollination and the varieties Clutha Gold and Sundrop. Describes studying for a National Diploma in Fruit Culture. Describes other areas of research at the station including spraying, soil deficiency, bird control, a peach stoning machine and experiments with planting grass under trees rather than cultivating. Interviewer(s) - Elaine Gough Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-008556 Quantity: 1 C60 cassette(s). 1 transcript(s). 1 interview(s). 1 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - transcript(s) available OHA-2663.

Date: [ca 1900-1940s]

From: Te Whaiti family : Collection

Reference: PAColl-7910-13

Description: Photographs relating to farming, and fruit-growing and distribution, taken by unknown photographers, ca 1900 to ca 1940s. - Includes images of workers standing in front of Tate's Cherries trucks, loaded with produce. - Also includes three images of sheep in a river valley, one is inscribed with "Back of Washpool Creek, Whatarangi Sation. Te Whaiti & Sinclair". - Also images of workers standing in an orchard - possibly Tate's workers, and an image of Bill White and an unknown man. Quantity: 16 b&w original photographic print(s).

Date: 1892-1985

By: New Zealand Fruitgrowers Federation

Reference: ATL-Group-00410

Description: Records of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers Federation, including minutes, reports, conference papers, financial records, correspondence, booklets, and constitutional papers. Also includes some records of Auckland Provincial Fruitgrowers Council. Title supplied by Library. The New Zealand Fruitgrowers Charitable Trust was set up in 1985 as a separate fund, founded on the sale of half of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers Federation's share in commercial trading and export activities (http://www.hortnz.co.nz/about-us/new-zealand-fruitgrowers-charitable-trust/). Quantity: 48 box(es). Physical Description: Manuscripts, typescripts, and printed matter.