The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1913 HOROWHENUA COUNTY AND FRUITGROWING.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 October 1913, Page 2

The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1913 HOROWHENUA COUNTY AND FRUITGROWING.

-No great enthusiasm has been infused into ike cult of fruitgrowing in these parts, but the interests of orchardisls are kept aJive by the ILujowiicuua l'ruitgroweis' Association. As the years go on the productivity oi' local orchards will increase greatly, and eventually this district will become as well known as .Nelson province is lor a fruit-growing locality. The arrival of thai day could be expedited by judicious advertisement oi the possibilities of our district. The growing of shelter trees to break the force of the equinoclional winds is a condition precedent tu successful raising of fruit in these parts: but subject to the proviso ii is perfectly safe to recommend this district (to any person qualilied to undertake (lie work of fruit culture) as a most desirable place in which to plant an orchard. 15ut it is necssary thai the new settler shall have the means of livelihood to keep him in comfort while tin; shelter trees are growing. These facts and some others well might be disseminated through Ureal Britain and (lie I'liiled Stales, to Ihe end that desirable settlers mav be attracted to these parts. .Nelson citizens and settlers lose no chances of bugling abroad their merits and atlraclions of the land of their province, and even visitors to their district catch the infection and write abroad in praise of Xelson. Such a letter has caught our eye lately in the columns of (be London Daily Mail, and we have wondered why sonic similar pronouncement on behalf of Jlnnnvlienua Couniv has not been sent abroad. Perhaps Ihe IForowhenua I'Yuifgrowers' Association will rise lo the occasion, and draft a letter for lioii abroad. The lexi of the Mail s letter would form a basis for I lie Ilorowheiiua County's; in fact every word of it could be applied accurately to tin's. J , runs as follows: I sometimes read letters asking for particulars of prospects of fruit-growing for profit in the British dominions. Any who may be thinking of trying their luck at growing fruit as a means of getting a living would do well to give jN t c\v Zealand a little' attention. 1

hiivo_ I).on spending ;i fortnight in. Poison, itself a fruit-growing centre. Across Tasnian Sc;i, about two hours by steamer from Nelson, ;it a place c;iU(hl Alotueka, fruit, especially apple culture, is carried on in a manner that ■should be highly satisfactory to the grower. Uf land there is plenty, price rangiiig- from £10 to i!2(J per acre. Ten acivs seems to be all a man wants. This he can manayo Jiimself, and planted with IUU trees to the acre will yield from £00 to £70 per acre per annum. The apples are sulci on the. wharf, the grower having no difficulty in disposing of his crop. Any kind of fruit except tropical grows well, but apples travel best, and there is an unlimited demand for them. Between. Aiotueka and Nelson there iis another place, "Atoutere, , -" that is being ijuickly opened out and planted with apple trees. TJju.ro are some 20,000' acres of I his laud. The soil is poor, but it has been proved more suitable for apple growing for export than some of the better land. This poorer country is covered with scrub, which can be cleared by contract, at 10s to 10s per acre. The climate is as nearly perfect as it can be: in winter a little frost at night, followed by bright waiin days; in the summer never too hot. .For the sportsman there is good trout fishing. Quail, are very plentiful and deer-stalking can be had close at hand. The Nelson province is certainly one of the most favoured spots to be found in the British dominions.