FIRST STEPS IN FRUITGROWING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 428, 10 February 1909, Page 5

FIRST STEPS IN FRUITGROWING.

A SELECTION OF VARIETIES. WHAT A PRACTICAL MAN ADVISES. . ' • V. . In a series of articles on'fruit-growing for profit it is well to get the opinions ot as many experienced men'as possible to guido ono ( in making final decisions. The remarks hero quoted concorning varieties are from Mr. Mayo, tho well-known fruit-grower and nurseryman of Aorangi, r«ar Feilding. As Mr.' Jlayo does a large retail trado direct to consumers by the easeful, his ideas are kept well'sharpened up to the publtc taste. He has kindly supplied The Dominion »ith' the following references to some of the best known sorts of fruits. '' Apples.' Irish Peach.—One of the earliest apples. This and Bed Astrachan, another early apple, sell at 2d. and 2Jd. por pound. The shops can't get onough of them. That price pays well. Some peoeple'loso their crops of Irish Peach 1 apples by'pruning. For tho fruit of this variety grows at the endß of the twigs. My plan is to let the branches remain unpruned, so that they may become long and nang down. Then at tho bend there will grow a bunch of,spurs,, and the branch may afterwards bo cut off here, and good crops will be got. ' _ Colonial Washington.—This has the same habit of'hearing as tho Irish Peach. It is ono of the best lato cooking apples. Gravcnstein.—-Powdery mildew is rather a trouble with this sort, and on that account I don't like it. Otherwise it is a splendid dessert and cooking apple. v ßut in other parts it may perhaps do well. I would not like to say too definitely. Cox's Orange.—An autumn apple. The best dessert apple known. Valuable for local sale or for export. It blights if cut much. > Jonathan.—Sells in lato l autumn. It will keep, if required, but it is best to market it then,, It is one of the best market apples known. . Eeinette du Canada.—Comes in aftor Cox's. Very good export apple. Rather too large at first, but better size when the trees' get into regular bearing. Munro's Favourite. —An early winter or late autumn apple, sometimes, known as Dunn's Seedling. Grows very well here. Will carry to England and soils well. , Baldwin. —My.favourite. A long-keeping, striped dessert apple. Tho variety that tho Americans send Homo in barrels,, It has a first-class flavour. One of tho best keepers, and a splendid carrier. Red Winter Pearmain.—Good colour. Sells well, but has not the flavour of some of tho others. . Ribstone Fippin is .a, good apple, but doesn't bear well. Otherwise it would be a good apple-ivith which to begin the exporting season. '

Dogherty.—A rod late apjple. Sells well in ihe north. : Keeps till spring. They can't grow Stunners in the north, so they grow the inferior Dogherty instead. It blights rather badly, and I don't like it. Stunner.—This, 'and Baldwin, 3Te the two apples I like best of all. We can grow Sturmer, splendidly here.' It is a late-keeping • dessert apple.* Alfrisfcon. —Large, late, good cooking apple, i Keeps till apples como in again. But it's' , only a cooker. Its appearance is very mnoh, i like that of Beinette du Canada. ! Spitzenberg, Northern Spy, and Cleopatra. —Suffer from powdery mildew hero. Duchess of Oldenburg.—Beautiful colour; good.cooker. I.ilunk it would carry, to Eng-' land, and it is ready for exp&rt ri hbw. ' Autumn. Pearmain. —A late Autumn apple that does well hero. Export Apples.—As soon as we get the proper arrangements'made -1 for .the temperature on the steamers) most • apples can bo • Bent to England. Wβ shall get that temperature when we havo the quantity of apples , to ship. Imperial 'Alexander apple and' Benrre Clairgeau pear have' both been sent Home to England safely in tho cold rooms. Pears. ■ Petito Marguerite.—Start with this for an early pear. Williams's Bon Chretien.—This is the wellknown dessert pear, that always sells. It is a good variety to grow.' Louise Bonne >of Jersey.—Follows Williams's. Kather subject to crack, but very profitable. Doyenne du Cornice.—Pair size, good earner, excellent flavour, good pear all round. >' ,Keiffer's Hybrid.—Good Autumn' pear; well worth planting. I Vicar of Winkheld.—This variety is a heavy bearer, though its quality is not of I the best. It pays better, however, at 2d. per pound than some better ones at 3d. " i Fertility.—No flavour. A woody pear.' Vicar has three times tho flavour. ■, , ■Beaurre Capiaumont.—Keeps well; splen-' did flavour. Durondeau.—One of the best pears I have got. Of good flavour. Beats Beurre Chairgaau hollow. Smaller than Clairgeau, but I still plenty big enough. Sometimes too big. Grosse Callebosse.—Splendid cropper; , a I iooking pear; pays veil. Beurre Easter.—Generally a great bearer, | but rather too late for me.- ' Summer Beurre and D'Areniberg take the I «ab blight badly. Winter,Nehs. —Blossoms heavily, but often Bets a very poor crop. Winter Cole. —A better pear to grow thani Winter Nehs. ' • ' ' Beurre Bosc. —A tip-top pear. , Peaches and Nectarines, Briggs's Red May,, Sannders, Alexander, Wiggins, and Wager peaches, i Goldmine and Lee's Prolific Nectarines. , Plitms. ' Prince Englebert, a purple plum and a large bearer. Also _a seedling from greengage which I call the "big gage." Heavy bearer, • large plum, splendid cooker, good dessert.