SUB-TROPICAL CROPS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 329, 14 April 1928, Page 10

SUB-TROPICAL CROPS

POSSIBILITIES IN NORTH The fact that North Auckland has many natural advantages for the growing of sub-tropical plants was dealt with by Mr. H. T. Patterson, senior instructor in agriculture for the Auckland Province, at the opening meeting for the season of the Auckland Agricultural Science Club last evening. Experience with tropical grasses, maize, tobacco, cotton and other plants, said Mr. Patterson, had made it clear that there was a field for investigation which should result in adding to New Zealand agriculture a wide range of economically valuable crops. Tobacco although sensitive to soil conditions, grew well on some New Zealand poor lands. The fine aroma popularised by American leaf appeared to depend upon the choice of soil, not upon climate. This had been virtually established in Australia by growing American varieties in soil imported for the purpose from the Carilinas. Tobacco grown and cured at Pukekohe had been pronounced by an expert to be equal to good light American leaf. The lecturer briefly referred to other crops, such as sorghum, citrus fruits, kudzu (a Japanese legume), broommillet, soya beans, arrowroot, sisal hemp, elephant grass and avocado pears, all of which, he said, had been raised successfuly in Northern New Zealand upon a larger or smaller scale.