Growing Fruit.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 September 1910, Page 4

Growing Fruit.

HOW TO START IN A SMALL WAY. PAPER BY MR A. R. MAYO. At the annual meeting of the Fruitgrowers' Association, tho following paper was read by Mr A. R. Mayo, the well-known Aorangi orchard ist:—

We will take .for granted, that the would-be orclia.rdist has a piece ok land, say, up to half-an-aerc. It will he necessary for him to have it well sheltered on the west ana nonth-west sides, as that is tho first thing to do when anyone tJiinks of planting fruit trees to grow, and •bear fruit. Tho shelter should have at least two or three years' starlt. Then, if the ground is o'f a clay nntuire, draining is the next essential thing. The drains may be made wit3i stones, pipes or manuka. There is no doubt that pipe draining is the best, but I have known drains put dwwn with manuka which have lasted for a great many years. You must remember ihiowever that manuka drains are often spoiled 'by rats and rabbits. After the draining operations arc all done, have the piece of land well dug or ploughed, and if possible let it fallow for a few months, after which it will pay the extra labour entailed if it is again d-ug or doply ploughed. Now measure up your gHoiind. and see how many trees are required. Then dig tho (holes, say, on font deep and tbico feet 'Wide, putting the rough soil cm one side, and tho fine on another, so that you will be able to use tho fine soil to put round the roots of you,r trees when planting. The distance apart which the trees shioii'kl be planted cannot be quite

determined upon, unless one knows the piece of ground eaeih groover has to plant, but the trees should bo at least 20 feet one way by 15 or more in the rows. A little manure at planting will repay the extra cost. Bonedust, 1 consider, is about the best manure to give young transplanted fruit trees a start. Be sure and keep the fruit trees at least 20 feet from the shelter hedge, and also remember to plant them oiiiy about our indh deeper than they stood in the .nursery row. After having found out the exact number of trees required, which we will say for half-an-aore, would be abo-ut 50, it would be well to consider the kinds to plant, as it is possible, with a little forethought, to have fresh fruii from December to the end of September, and, with the help of gooseberries, it is ajiito possible to have eo'oking fruit all the year round. ] should think for "this district one ought to' plant three ohero-y trees, ten plum, four .nectarines, six peach trees, eighft pears, one quince, and eighteen apple trees, also small fruits, twen-ty-fire raspberry, twelve gooseberry, twelve black currant, and twelve i:hl currant trees, the small fruits to l>o planted between the rfiws, in single' linos, to allow for horse labour, if possible, during tlu •summer months. Summer cultivation conserves the moisture, and ■helps to keep the plant food contained in the ground soluble. A great portion of the apples and pears slunikl be long keepers. After you have the trees planted cut thorn well back and keep the ground between well cultivated faint least five years. There are many H.i.v.s in which cultivation cat* be earned out. One of the test is to α-rnw vegetables and farm roots sit;',!i as horse carrots, man<n>kfc etc among t.lie trees, tto Vegetables for homo use, and the farm nr.ts could be fed to the horse m<' or f-jn-ls T think every one who ifls balf-an-a-'re of land shoult, keep a pig nw ] nt j o . ist ] )alf fl (]f);;p? , 'owls, and if prjssil)lo several hive? o I.'CM, to Jiolp fertilise the fruit *)!rssoiiis. rhe second season the trees will need to be pruned, and one cannot go far wrong if ] 10 c , lts off about one-third of the youno growth keeping the branches a tair a-part to let in plentv 'f light and air. Then sp rav the trees to keep them from insect I/cS'tS.

Lastly remember that the halfacfre of land worked ten or twelve niches deep contains as mwh availn> e plant food as an acre worked only hve inches deep, and also that it contains more soil water to stand a dry season, yet it is drier and ■warmer in winter. By the time you have done all I have told you you will have learned that there is more „. the earth below than most people have over dreamed of, and that the greatest study of all is nature studv. '