Onion Picking

What's New in Industry

The cropping of produce and vegetables on the rich Gisborne flats is increasing rapidly. The outlook for the future sale of such crops looks very bright indeed, particularly as the northern markets increase. Auckland's urban sprawl is taking up good growing land and it is becoming more profitable to grow produce here and freight it through to that city, as well as to other centres, where the market is always available for early and late vegetables.

One such crop that this year has been grown with remarkable success is the onion. Nine acres of onions producing 15 tons to the acre were harvested this season on Peter Jackson's property at Bushmare, proof enough that Gisborne has the right soil and climate for any vegetable production. Next year a planting of 24 acres will be undertaken.

Planted in July the onions are undercut and pulled to dry for three to four weeks, in February, before being gathered and bagged.

Common Sheltons arranged for the marketing agent in Auckland to sell the whole crop, and Peter Jackson worked in close cooperation with them on the spraying programme which was carried out over the growing period--three times for weeds and twice for mildes and thrips.