FRUIT GROWING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1657, 8 September 1887, Page 3

FRUIT GROWING.

: In a former article, referring to the lat • low rates ruling for grain and th 1 farmers' prospects, we showed that rh | depression was due to competition wit other countries where the cultivation of this J cereal was conducted under such favorable surroundings with regard to the price of land and labor, or the use of labor-saving appliances, and the low cost of transit, that the American and the Indian farmers could afford to sell their wheat m England at three shillings per bushel, and still leave a | fair profit to the former and a large profit to the latter. We also expressed our opinion that prices would not materially improve, and quoted some remarks of the President of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, wno, arguing on the assumption of iheee shillings, being the presnt price here, said that " with a twenty-four bushel average the farmers, though not able to accumulate wealth rapidly, would still be able to hold their own," as showing the direction m which probabilities pointed. " Holding their own " not being a very profitable game, but one of which we suspect they will soon tire, the question arises what is to be the substitute for, or a supplement to, wheat growing when its production shall ceaSe to yield a fair remuneration for the investment of the capital and labor required. With commodities of all kinds at their present abnormally low values this is a ticklish question to answer. Of course, for the pteseni % enough wheat will have to be grown to supply ' the inter-provincial, and it may be, the inter-colonial markets also. But if a Freetrade Ministry should succeed to power, and cheap grown Indian wheat i is admitted without any protective duty, its cultivation as an article of commerce must cease, and only sufficient for the household's use grown, In fact, we very much question whether m such case it would not be cheaper to buy the imported article. Dealing then with the present, the question would present itself m this form :— VVhat is to compensate the farmer for his shortage m wheat cultivation when he ceases to grow for the English market? To this we unhesitatingly reply Fruit-growing. Our only wonder ]s that this has not been had recourse to jefore, to increase the farmer's yearly revenue, for it has so many points m its favour. It is inexpensive, requiring but little labour being bestowed on it" and the climate and soil are particularly well adapted to it. Five acres, or even one acre planted with high-class fruit trees would yield a very nice addition o the farmer's income. All that is required m the first instance is judgment m the selections not only of the fruits but also of the sorts, and care m their planting. The only reason why fruit-growing has been so foolishly neglected is that there is such a long time to wait for the return — one, two, three, or more years. Bui then there is no ploughing, harrowing, drilling, or rolling to be done, and if we do not reap much beuefit from it our children will. It may be said that if all were to go m for fruit there would be no market for it. Perhaps not m the colour, but it must be remembered that with rapid steamer transit, there is now a limitless and highly remunerative market for it m London. Sir Julius Yogel m his recent address here, when alluding to the tariff, pointed out m what respects it has been framed m the farmers interest by taxing imported fruits of all kinds. He then proceeded : — " There is another incidental point, hamely, the question of fruitgrowing. I believe there is no limit to the extent to which it would be possible to develope this industry m New New Zealand. (Applause.) The figures which I have studied m England show me how enormously it might be extended under proper inducements. I freely admit that a five per cent duty was not sufficient, and that it should have been larger. (Applause). The statistics which I have studied, as to the English production, show the enormous value of fruit farms all over the country; and then when I come to consider that notwithstanding all the lands they have available for fruit growing m the United Kingdom, they imported, m 1883, no less than 152,000 tons of fresh fruit, to the value of and when I consider, also, how cheaply, and how well, this country and climate are suited for the production of fruit, I canuot help thinking that m that direction farmers" may find a large and profitable outlet for their industry. (Cheers.) Farmers here would scarcely credit the amounts made out of small plots of fruit gardens at Home, and seem to forget that owing to the difference m the seasons, our fruits would reach the Home market just at a time when it was most bare of the kinds we could supply. The fruit, except tropical, imported into London comes from Continental Europe and North America, and there the seasons are the same, so that growers here would obtain far better prices for their exports, The subject is certainly worth considering.