Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1891. The Planting Season.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 11 June 1891, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1891. The Planting Season.

This month,- and the next, are the best in the* year for planting: fruit trees. We urge every freeholder to act in time, and plant a dozen fruittrees if he has a piece of ground fiheitenedfromjthes^a-br^eze. * Wind is^noVso' -fiurtfifl feNhe fruit; as the salt brought from r the ocean, which is capable 6f affecting the bark four or five miles inland from the shore. . Naturally a; : spot free from wind, is better, but we think anyone, with shelter as we have stated, would be satisfied with their trial. Before an apple is of much profit it must besix to eight years old, though under favourable circumstances they will fruit well at three years old. Not only is the apple a most valuable artiole of diet, especially for children, but it is a most hardy and constant bearer; and bids fair soon to be reckoned as a valuable addition to the exports of this Colony. It is no use reckoning one's chickens before they are hatched, therefore before exporting apples becomes a subject of-con-sideration on this coast, we must be able to supply the local demand: To our mmd it is impossible to'gvbw'tbb much fruit, even though we we' are aware that at times apples are almost unsaleable. This state arises from bad management, and to. the /comparatively small quantity of fruit grown. In the first place, judgement must be exercised in the selection ofapples to be planted, and in the next place, they need to be carefully picked and housed for the market. We have an instance in town this season. Twer #r,y $Ja?ee/ r mpnjjhs ; ago apples were t6ne"' had from one pefany to' three h,alfp^nce a, pound,, now they cannot be" purchased under fourpence a pound, and- there, will not be many locally grown ones at that price. The apple^ ( became chean as tjhe grpwers 'ait. wfyate'd' to 'se'U;, rather than ;be 'troubled' to keep a few, and they forced fallen and bruised ones, against more careful grpwers picked ones, on the buyers. With a larger supply of these cheap apples it would have paid some one to have peeled and evaporated them, thus allowing them to be useful food later on in the season. The more- apples grown, the more damaged [ones there would be, and paradoxical, as it may sound,' the better it woul4.be, as then some; one wpuld see an opening to manafacture qider for ;the summer weather. We are therefore of the opinion, that the larger this jhidustry. growa. the better it will be for one and all, and W|B should mujch, like to pee a .start irsde by every holder of land to form an orchard, which! would, . ye#r\ j>y year, be increased, ! ' Tq;sinaU buyers we should recomr mend a purchase of various kinds so that they kept up a supply for their own use. 'lo those who purpose putting: down large orchards we are of the opinion that they should buy only very early or late sorts, ' %fc a large orchard is a ■ business, ana ifcf would be advisable; to have >• their . work altogether, or ivith only" one '

break. -We hold with having late sorts if it was thought advisable to go in for the Home market, as the early sorts are generally not so large or fine, and the time for their: reaching Hovae not so advantegeous to the grower's pocket. We may give just one caution to purchasers;" The American blight is undoubtedly a great nuisance, but it can be conquered when it is above the roots, care must therefore be used to see that not only no spgn ofblight appep.rs on the root, but the seller should /distinctly guarantee that they" are " blight-proof. An honestsnurserynian can -do "this^'as th§re 'are ;.• thse : e v or four trees that are blight proof, and these should be the only ones used to graft on. It is impossible for any man to guarantee .that every djscription of apple will not blight,, some of the best kinds do so very badly, but if the root is clean, the upper part by some labour, can be kept clean. From what we have noticed in this district all apples will do well, and on the lighter and drier ground exceedingly well, but in the low lands though the trees grow well, they undoubtedly blight well, and give more trouble to clean. A tree takes up but little room, peeds but little care, if not left, for lQug-periods ■ neglected, and returns a larger and more valuable yield than most orops. •