Hop Growing at'Nor-MANBY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 114, 21 April 1883, Page 3

Hop Growing at' Nor

. ... .(Hawera Star.) On Saturday: night a number of the principal. settlers of Norm anby met to take into consideration the advisability of commencing hop growing. Mr Fi Brett was voted to the chair. A letter from Mr Mack ay, advising on the subject, was read. As only two or three persons present had any knowledge of hop growing, there was a considerable amount of discussion on the subject before it was unanimously resolved to test the capacity of the district for producing hops. Mr Robert Petti t, who had had considerable experience of hop growing m Nelson, had' signified his willingness to visit Normanby, and give assistance and advice. It was considered advisable to accept of this offer, and adjourn the meeting to a time when he could at- | tend. In the meantime a list was opened for the names of those willing to subscribe the necessary capital . : The information' discussed ' by the meeting was to.. the effect that the piincipal item of expense was the poles, 3000 tein^- required per 'acre/ The poles wou'd require to be about 16ft, by not less than 2in diameter at the butt, red ' inahaka ; being considered the best ! material. It was considered 'that suitable poles could be got m the district for about 25s per 100. -The outlay lor those poles would not be required at once, as for the first two years inferior poles of 10ft or 12ft would be sufficient. A -kiln suitable tor a garden of ten acres would cost about £150. Trench dfgging the land, as the most thorough way of preparing the soil for hops, was estimated to cost about £16 per acre. The hop plants are not expensive, 1 and are eaaily set. Laying out, pointing, and planting the poles would cost about £5 an acre. Against this apparently heavy first cost, there is the value of the crop of a garden m full bearing. A. ton of hops :is not: an uausual return on the comparatively poor lands of Nelson. Thisi-at 2s per 1b (a low estimate), gives £224 per acre per annum. Several gentlemen at the meeting referred to bad conversations with visitors from the hop growing -districts, who invariably expressed surprise that the hop industry had not been started m the bush clearings m the neighborhood of Normanby, as they afforded every requisite for success— an unusually rich, easily worked soil, and perfect shelter. from all winds. A strong feeling was expressed that, the time had arrived when we must do something better with our land than continue to use it as. a run for rough stock:. j -•.•; :