SUGAR BEET AND APPLE CULTURE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 August 1910, Page 3

SUGAR BEET AND APPLE CULTURE.

To tho Editor. Sir,—Tn t'.he columns of your paper of Friday, August 12, appears a letter, signed "Unit." .1 am very pleased to find that there are some of the residents of Levin who think like myselt, that it is high time that we awake ami shake off drowsiness, and at least try to sta.rt some industry that will benelit the country, and especially Levin. "Unit" points out that Nelson I'nuit comes lronryoung trees, and to that I say that no matter whether it comes from young or old trees, they took the prize at the Palmerston Kliow. Then, again, trees dhoukl not be allowed to get *>kt; that is to say, the fruit bearing parts of the tree. The best and most fruit comes on the young wood—from one to four oi live years old—even though the tree itself may be fifteen or twenty years old ; in other words, trees should be pruned so as to cause tlhem to "make" a fair amount of wood every year, as well as to bear a good crop of ■fruit,. But there is no getting away from the fact that the Levin fruit grower must, crop between his trees to obtain the best results in fruit growing; the thing is what will be the best to crop with. I ratlhei like Mr Eosella's idea. Why not crop with sugar beet, and go in for the sugar industry as well as the linseed ? Either or both would pay to grow, and I think they could' bo grown between the fruit trees witileve ry advantage. lam pleased to see that Mr iMmnridge is willing to make/a start with the linseed, and put in ten acres, if others will do the same. I think that the returns per acre would be so great as to give them encouragement to go largely into it. "What I think would be a step in the right direction, is that a few of the largest and most wealthy fanners in and around Levin call a meeting of all those who are interested in the welfare ci the country, and that meeting appoint some one to write away to wfhere such industries as those above mentioned are carried on, and find out "the probable returns per acre of linseed or stigai beet, the cost of plant, and other ■information; then we will know better what step to take next. But local industry we must have if we want to people the place; local industry we must have if we want to keep the people in the place; and local industry we must 'have if we want to keep the value of land up. —I am, etc.,