The Fruit Industry.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 23 February 1911, Page 4

The Fruit Industry.

~ » MR HORTON ON THE PROSPECTS. Mr Horton, manager of the Frimley nurseries and orchards, interviewed by a Marlborough Express reporter, said: "One often hoifrs the saying :_ ' 'What sha.ll , wo do "with all the fruit when the young trees wOiiah are now boinp; planted' come into fruiting?" Wheal we think t.lnat there are between 300,000,000 and 400,000,000 people in the Northern Hemisphere who must draw their supplies of fruit from outside sources during their off-season, it is easy to understand that it will be many, many years before we can do muob more than tonal* the fringe of the trade that offers. The annual fruit bill of the United Kingdom now is over ten millions sterling, and is increasing rapidly every year, and there is no reason why New Zealand should not have a large share of these, returns. Of course, the success of the industry to a. very great extent dopends upon the selection of trees. A great mistake lias been made in the past by planting too_ mmny varieties, a great many of wilvich have proved absolutely -unsuitable for either local or export trade. To make a success of the applc-grow-ing business growers should confine themselves to not more than six I varieties. It must be remembered: that what will do well in one district may not do well in another; but the following are tho varieties that I woukl recommend planting in this district. All are good doers, iioavy croppers, ahid. good export kinds, and well-known to dealers at Home, which is very important:— Jonathan, Stunner Pippin, Cleopatra, Munroe's Favourite, Cox'.s Orange Pippin, and Donghterty. "There are others which are almost as good, but these J place at the top of the list. J have dealt, as you know with tho apple industry because I consider it of paramount importance as compared with a)iy other branch of the fruit-growing industry. There is, as is generally known, always an. open and ready market for apples, which are entirely suitable for export trade. Poa-rs, however, can be made a marketable commodity; in fact, I think tihere is a very big opening for this class of fruit, and I am plfeased to note that you have large tracts of good, rich land here, suitable for pear culture. All those rich flats upon which such fine crops of barley and pens are being produced are ideal for growing this luscious fruit. As a rule, pears command a higher price than apples, and now it has beenproved that wo can keep summer varieties for many months in cool storage there will be no difficulty in shipping this class of fruit to the European markets. Victoria this season in shipping to Europe many thousands of eass of this fruit, the best varieties of which are : Williams' Bon Jhretion, Louise-bonne of Jersey, Dovenne du Cornice, "Winter Nelis. Winter Cole, P. Barry, Napoleon, Kieffer's Hybrid."