CORRESPONDENCE.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 254, 11 April 1888, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

Under no ciuMimstanceh is the Editor responsible for the matter contained in ooiresponilencp.

(To The Editor). Sin, — While niminating- over the corupaiativcly low Juices of produce at the present time, and thinking what a change fiiis taken place during tho passing of twenty years, it is quite lefreslnng to turn to old memos and contemplate the vapidity with which money came to hand in the fruit trade twenty years ago, besides thy ease with which fruit could be grown then to what it can now. The cold blighting wind on the peaches and nectarines, the almost entire destruction of the pears by the disease known as fireblight, »md the codlin moth amongst the apples, has sunk tL<rhopes of fruitgrowers almost to zero. How different the feelings with which one plants a fruit tree now to what we did then. Twenty-years ago there was little besidos American blight (aphis lanigera), and the several species of scale, which, bad as some people found them, are easily dislodged, compared to later foes. Then there was a feeling of ceitainty and secuiity of adequate return for the outlay, now, all is uncertainty and chance. I send you, as rcadablo matter, an extract from a me* morandom book showing the sale of fruit for six days in April, 1868, the 23rd to the 20th, both days included. The writer was leasing a small orchard of about one-and-a-half acres, with some other land, at a rental equal to £70 per year, in the district of Birkenhoad, (then Stokes Point,) with its poor clay soil, but which with plenty of manure, proved verj suitable foi pears the bulk of the fruit being of that kind. 23 rd Apiii—

Almost equal to a whole years takings at the present time. The total for thowhole month of April was £113 3s 4d. Will feuch times ever come again, without the enormous rent. The last entry for that year was on the 24th May,— soolbs Pears, £10 8s 4d., 2241b5, £2 165., these would be just in their prime or exceedingly mellow. The entries were geneially made clear of all charges for freight, carting, &c. H. J. H.

:4th April— 109 lbs Pears 120 Ibs do. 15th April— Pea»B !6th April— 12 cases Pears !Bth Apiil— 601 bs- Peiirs 7 cases c?o. !9th April— 1198Jb8 Apples fiOii.s ..; Passion fruit 1 W 4 2 0 0 0 11 G 12 18 C 1 0 0 4 11 0 19 0 4 0 10 0 0 1 0 £63 b 0

5 1 2 3 caseß rears, ditto ditto ditto 9941 bs ... i 83!ba ... I32]be ... I7oibs ... 1 1 2 10 6 11 9 10 0 0 0