PROFITABLENESS OF FRUIT GROWING.

Patea Mail, 16 June 1881, Page 4

PROFITABLENESS OF FRUIT GROWING.

“ Agricola ” says—An agriculturist, wliatever the extent of his holding, ought to regard the planting of an orchard as a first and an indispensable duty'. It has been very truly remarked that there are no articles of cultivation on the farm so refining in their influences upon the household as those of fruit. They are sources of heath as food, of luxury' in their flavour and variety', of economy in household consumption, of pleasure in their production, and of houndless interest in their propagation.” Fruit-growing may indeed be regarded as a matter of national interest and importance, having not only a powerful influence upon the tastes and health of a community, but being' a source of profit to the growers, and so to the country generally. If the .£IOO,OOO sent from this colony for the purchase of fruit can bo retained in the country, and a few thousands realized by fruit exported from these shores, that will bo a decided improvement upon the position that at present actually exists. The question, Will growing fruit pay? is not difficult to answer, nor is it hard to prove that it is a more profitable crop than many others raised. Calculations have been made that one acre of good, healthy trees in full bearing should be worth a large sum of money. But, reckoning at a low estimate, what can pay like a crop of fruit? Take, for instance, an acre of apple trees —about 120 trees. If of the right sort, and having had proper attention, they should in a few years produce at least a hundredweight of fruit each. Suppose this is sold for the low figure of 10s per cwt., that is L6O per acre for fruit, and the trees are of course bearing each season, and will last for a good number of years ; and indeed ought to improve in their bearing capabilities as they' increase in age. It is not unusual for trees 20 years of age to bear from 4 to 8 cwt of fruit. I have mentioned apple trees, but pears on suitable soil will bear just as well ;in many 7 cases yielding prodigious crops of fruit.