Fruit - Frost protection

Date: 9 Jun 2000 - 09 Jun 2000

From: Vintage years - the wine industry in New Zealand

By: Lamb, Joseph (Brother), 1934-

Reference: OHInt-0535/7

Description: Joseph Lamb was born in Wellington in 1934, the twin brother of David Lamb. Mentions he was born at Dr Levy's Private Hospital in Willis Street. Recalls the Pirie St area where they lived. Describes how his father worked for the Ford Motor Company, had an accident and was an early plastic surgery patient. Talks about the deaths of five of the children in the family from the Rh negative factor. Describes how his Irish mother was intended for the convent. Mentions his father was Scottish. Describes going to Buckle Street Convent School. Recalls the school buildings and St Joseph's Catholic Church. Describes enjoying St Patrick's College which was strict. Recalls a booklet about the lay brothers and his decision to become a brother. Describes leaving home for Highden Estate in Palmerston North. Recalls his early days there and the structured environment. Talks about prayer, meditation, the grand silence, examination of conscience, vows and meetings and lectures on religious life. Describes Highden as a working farm. Mentions that there were six brothers in residence and many students. Describes being there from 1953 to 1955 when he went to Mount St Mary Seminary. Describes his work with Brother Maurice Murphy who was in charge of the vineyards at Greenmeadows. Mentions that Brother Basil was the winemaker. Discusses the close planting of the vines, low yield, building up production, the use of oil pots when temperatures dropped, spraying, harvesting, the use of netting to prevent damage by birds and disease. Talks about the arrival of phylloxora. Discusses the work of the other brothers at the Greenmeadows community and its split into priests, students and brothers. Recalls the moving of the wooden buildings from Meeanee to the current site on the hill. Describes how he and Brother John were the first to get diplomas. Discusses his bursary to study viticulture in France in 1965. Talks about grafting. Describes replacing Brother Maurice as vineyard manager and deciding with Brother John on what varieties would be planted. Talks about Tom McDonald, the merger of McDonald's Winery with McWilliams and Tom McDonald's role in establishing the Wine Institute. Describes how the Institute raised the standard of New Zealand's wine exports. Recalls the Hawkes Bay Winemakers Association. Mentions the effect on the vineyard of the 1921 fire and the 1931 earthquake. Describes changes in the wine cellar and wine press. Talks about the Colin (named after John Claude Colin) Library, its move to the Auckland seminary in 1998 and the Marist brothers move from Greenmeadows to Taradale the same year. Describes how the vineyard and winery is now run by lay people with Dave London as vineyard manager and Paul Mooney as winemaker. Interviewer(s) - Janice Aplin Quantity: 4 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 4 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-3120.

Date: 30 Oct 1996

From: A taste of gold oral history project

By: Ormandy, Mary, 1932-

Reference: OHInt-0446-11

Description: Mary Ormandy was born in Alexandra in 1932. Describes how her grandfather planted the family orchard in 1919 and her mother took it over later. Describes working in the orchard with a baby in a pram after marriage. Mentions she also worked at the Taylor orchard at Conroy's and comments that she has worked for four generations of Taylors over a fifty year period. Describes both the change in fruit type and in varieties of fruit. Discusses the importance of shelf life and appearance now in terms of marketing fruit. Comments on the reduction in flavour. Talks about the increase in the production of fruit for the domestic market. Describes the hydro ladder now used for picking. Compares the old wooden boxes worn round the neck for picking and the buckets now used. Discusses packing in wooden or cardboard boxes and describes the box construction. Comments on the high quality of the Taylor's fruit, changes in frost fighting, improvements in spraying technique and protective clothing, cool stores and the use of fruit pallets. Describes good working conditions and staff relationships at the Taylor's orchard. Mentions the morning and afternoon teas which Belle Taylor used to make and the staff bus which runs from Alexandra during cherry picking. Comments that the need to select fruit for picking means that it cannot be a mechanized job. Discusses the work ethic of some young pickers. Interviewer(s) - Janis Morgan Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-008568 Quantity: 1 C60 cassette(s). 1 transcript(s). 1 interview(s). 1 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - transcript(s) available OHA-2670.

Date: 4 May 1997 - 04 May 1997

From: A taste of gold oral history project

By: McLaren, Gillian, 1945?-

Reference: OHInt-0446-09

Description: Gill McLaren trained in horticulture at Lincoln College where she received a PhD. Recalls her plan from an early age to study horticulture, being the first woman at Lincoln who went through in horticulture and not being allowed to do a particular course because she was a woman. Comments that it took a long time for her to get a job but that she has now worked at Hort Research since 1975. Describes how she worked part-time when her children were younger and built up to full-time work with the assistance of her husband John. Describes herself as an entomolgist who also works on fruit varieties, storage qualities, maturity standards and root stock. Comments on the trend towards organics and the need to combat disease. Discusses her specialty in summer fruit crops, particularly apricots. Describes the national responsibility of Hort Research's Clyde station for pip and stone fruit. Discusses the role of Hort Research in providing the horticultural industry with scientific information. Comments on the change in government funding of this research and the need for funding bids to go to the Foundation for Research and Science Technology (FORST). Discusses the need for sustainable production using non chemical methods. Comments on a visit from overseas growers which highlighted the need to protect fruit varieties being developed. Recalls the role of advisors before the establishment of the research station. Mentions Lloyd Williams, an orchard instructor in the area from 1935-1939. Describes how the research station was set up in 1948 to do frost research. Mentions Eric (Happy) Hawkins who was the manager for many years. Talks about the role of orchardist Geoff Taylor in getting the research orchard going and being actively involved in the Fruit Research Committee and the National Fruit Growers Federation. Mentions Peter Taylor. Comments that because more land is now required to make an orchard sustainable, there are fewer orchardists and less involvement by them in representing the area at a national level in such organisations. Discusses research on establishing maturity standards at which fruit needs to be picked to get it to overseas markets with good flavour. Discusses varieties of apricots, cherries, nectarines and peaches. Comments on changes in orcharding including closer planting of trees, grass cultivation in orchards, sprinklers, hydro ladders for picking and bigger packing sheds and cool stores. Talks about trying to get growers to reduce the use of sprays. Discusses the use of carbaryl, an insecticide, and an alternative treatment of eliminating thrip by putting fruit in a hot water dip. Discusses the effect of proposed gold mining on Earnscleugh Flat on orchardists and orcharding. Comments on the need to increase the market for fruit going out of season to the northern hemisphere. Interviewer(s) - Janis Morgan Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-008565 - OHC-008566 Quantity: 2 C60 cassette(s). 1 transcript(s). 1 interview(s). 2 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - transcript(s) available OHA-2668.

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: 28 Apr 1997

From: A taste of gold oral history project

By: Ferris, Patricia Barbara, 1926-

Reference: OHInt-0446-03

Description: Pat Ferris was born in Alexandra in 1926. Talks about her parents Philip and Irene Haydock who moved on to their orchard in Conroy's Gully in 1942 or 1943. Recalls neighbours Mon McGinnis and Geoff Taylor. Mentions they sold the orchard to Geoff Taylor about 1958 or 1959. Recalls a lot of contact between the children and neighbours in the area. Comments on the role of women on orchards - doing a lot of cooking in addition to work in the packing shed. Recalls enjoying delivering fruit to the rail and preferring to do housework to orchard work. Describes biking to Alexandra. Describes dances in the Earnsleugh and Fruitlands halls, particularly at the end of World War II. Talks about growing cherries, pears, apples and plums. Mentions that Stan Hanning worked for their orchard. Describes irrigation from the Conroys Gully water race, frost pots, picking fruit into a box round the neck and the electric grader for grading fruit. Interviewer(s) - Elaine Gough Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-008554 Quantity: 1 C60 cassette(s). 1 transcript(s). 1 interview(s). 1 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - transcript(s) available OHA-2661.

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.