Fruit Trees Flourish Where Men Once Trained For War

Chronicle (Levin), 8 January 1949, Page 4

Fruit Trees Flourish Where Men Once Trained For War

Familiar to rail travellers and the people of Levin during the years of war were the neat rows of 'planes of the R.N.Z.A.F. on the 'drome just south of Levin. Here the administration staff planned the training of thousands of ycung men about to embark on the greatest of national services — -the protection of their country. Today, four years after the war, we find, instead of khaki-coloured 'planes, neat rows of trees and shrubs, and men who are engaged in a new conflict — the war against plant diseases and pests. It was in thes spring of 1947 that the Government selected this 33-acre property in Kimberley Road for a Dominion horticultural station. For some years it had been concerned at the lack of facilities for research work on purely eultural problems, especially in the small fruit, market gardening, and bulb growing industries, and the establishment of an experimental station at Levin was seen as the first step towards remedying that deficiency.

Makmg a periodical mspection of the station when a "Chronicle" reporter called in the other day was Mr. J. H. Watt, orchard instructor for the Department of Agriculture, who is at present in charge of the work there. A casual glance was sufficient to impress the ordinary layman on the progress made to date, but to -the reporter who had seen the initial planting out and opening up of the land just over a year ago the visit was indeed a revelation. The offieial, who showed the reporter over the property, said that this was the beginning of a lorigterm plan, which would ultimately be of great service to all commercial growers. One of the biggest experiments being carried. out at present was in the culture of raspberries. Approximately 1000 raspberry plants of 26 varieties had been selected from commereial gardens in all parts of New Zealand and these were being subjeeted to observation- trials first rather than cropping. The general idea was to observe how the plants reactqd to various methods of rearing and manuring, and to find out the reasons why some flourished while cthers sickened or died. It was hoped ultimately, said Mr. Watt, to make a complete collection of the various types and to -provide information to growers in regard to the best types for various soils and districts. | Much Care Given . Suckers have also been taken from the best of these plants and have been planted out in other areas of the station, but the ones which will be most carefully watched will be the original plants. Each I is tagged and by this method it can , be ascer.tained from wh'ioh garden the Sample came, its full history and other important details. If the plant is fo.und unsuitable, or trouble or disease develops, the; plant and all suckers from it are ; destroyed and another start made. j The plants receive as much care in , regard to the eollation of their his- ' tories as do pedigree cows. I In other spheres, too, this work igoes on, Experiments for instance are being carried out with black. currants, Eight varieties have been

imported frofn England and are at present undergoing cropping trials. 6n the day of the visit the pickers were out gathering and weighing .the fruit from each bush, and if •the specimens sampled by the reporter are any indication of the general results, the quality at least is not in doubt. Many varieties of strawberries were ^lso seen and these are being grown for experiments in runner production. Recently 21 plants at , the station produced 11,475 runners. Some of the plants have been handed out to growers for trial purposes, but to date no reports . have been forthcoming. Some imported strawberry plants had preyiously undergone inoculations in Scotland against root rot. These will later be sent from the station to Auckland, where the resistance to root rot will be observed and cropping tests carried out. Auckland was chosen because considerable trouble is being experienced there with root rot. * Unusual Sight An unusual sight for these parts were rows of hop plants, Mr. Watt stating that these had been imported from Tasmania recently by the Hop Growers' Association. Meanwhile, however, they were in "quarantine," and if they were found to be free of disease they would go to Nelson to the gardens of those wh'o had imported them. Among other work which will [eventually be undertaken at the station will be investigations into the use of modern irrigation equipment, trials to determine the effects on sofi conditions and yield of various eultural treatments, trials with vegetables and experiments with flowers and flower bulbs. Also provided for is the establishment of a meteorological station and a site for this has already been laid out. A dwelling will be erected for a resident officer, and ultimately a staff of experts for each section qf the work will be employed there. At the moment there is a i staff of three and the emphasis, meanwhile, is on small fruits. It is confidently expected that the station will he of great benefit tq commereial growers and the public, and the fisrt year has certainly produced heartening results.