HOP GROWING AT NORMANDY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1023, 18 April 1883, Page 3

HOP GROWING AT NORMANDY.

(Hanera Star.) On Saturday night a number of the principal settlers of Norman by met to fake into consideration the advisability of commencing hop growing. Mr F. Brett was voted to the chair. A letter from Mr Mackay, 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 Pettit, who had had considerable experience of hop growing in 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 attendIn the mean time, 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 prin cipal item of expense was the poles, 8000 being required per acre. The poles would require to be about IGft by not less than 2in diameter at the butt, red manuka being considered the best material. It was considered that suitable poles could be got in the district for about 20s per 100. The outlay for 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 for. a garden' of ten acres would cost about £l5O. Trench digging the land as the most thorough way of preparing the soil foxhops was estimated to cost about £IG per acre. The hop plants are not expensive, and are easily 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 in full bearing. A ton of hops is not an unusual return on the comparatively poor lands of Nelson. This, at 2s per lb (a'low estimate), gives £221 ■ per aci'e per annum. Several gentlemen at tlxe meeting i-eferred.to conversations with visitors from the hop growing districts, who invariably expressed surprise that the hop industry had not.been started in the bush clearings in the neighborhood of Nonnauby, as they afforded every requisite for success—an unusually rich, . easily?worked soil, and. perfect she! ter 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 only as a run for rough stock.