FRUIT-GROWING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1548, 2 September 1905, Page 3

FRUIT-GROWING.

;To the Editor .Gisborne Times.

Sir, —Allow me through your paper to express my astonishnent at the little fruit that is grown in your splendid district. On my visit round I have seen large orchards that were many years ago planted out with the large fruits, such as apples, pears, plums, quinces, and a mixture of the smaller fruits. In most of tho,',e orchards the blight has completely taken possession, and instead of being well-grown and cared for trees, I find them covered with all the pests imaginable. One person X came across in my travels, when asked the question, why things were so bad in his well (planted out orchard, he stated that he did his best to cope with the various diseases and as soon as he had finished with one and succeeded another took its place, and at last he became so disgusted l that he left off _ trying any longer. I argued with him as to the advisability of trying again, but he said, no, I shall cut them down as soon as the Government push me, although it has cost me many hundreds to plant out and cultivate them as I did, and had I allowed one sheep to the acre and closed it for grazing instead of for fruit it would have paid me a hundredfold more than the fruit. (I asked him to try the small fruit such as raspberry, loganberry, mayberry, currants, wineberry, and gooseberry, but to no purpose. He said the name of orchard was a sore point with him. Nothing could more forcibly illustrate {.the necessity for well kept orchards, which can be only attained by ‘ constant diligence, having one’s eye open at all times for any new disease, which should be tackled without _ delay. _ I cannot understand why this district does not go in largely for small fruits, which grow so well and have so few enemies; an industry of this kind would pay handsomely. The raspberry offers such a splendid field for enterprise, and it is time that something was done in spurring small holders on to enter the field and. make new efforts to cultivate one of the best of all fruits, and one that can firid a ready market always. The Agricultural Department have done and are doings much to assist fruit-grow-ing, and are always ready to forward pamphlets, etc., as to the proper method of producing the best results. I have been offered in this district £56 per ton for raspberries. They, pay handsomely at £3O, and any family could make £l5O a year by solely attending to the culture' of an acre; they.are heavy bearers, and no weather affects them for jam purpurposes. A man and his family oould easily attend to an acre or two, instead of the father going about the country looking for work; he need never leave Mb house for that purpose, he will always find profitable work at home. The great discoverer of all the new creations of fruit la the celebrated Burbank. It was he who, by hybridization of various vines, discovered the “newly improved Catherth raspberry." It is the heaviest bearer of all its kind, and produces fruit till late in the soason, being the first to make its appearance on the market. At Frimley, where they have established large raspberry plantations, the settlers have done exceedingly well, and are prosperous. The Frimley oanneriei would be prepared to take as many tons as the district could produce for jam making. There are other small fruits which would do equally as well, but there is not so muoh demand for them, and the price is not so good, as well as the fruit is not so easily marketed. I hope that Borneone will take up the hint and show the district what can be done in the raspberry industry. Even if people sowed eufficient for their own use for jam making, it would pay them well, as no fruit produoes more than the raspberry in the aame-siae plot.— I am, eig., . ALPHA.