A VISIT TO A HAUTAPU FRUIT FARM.

Waikato Argus, Volume III, Issue 193, 7 October 1897, Page 3

A VISIT TO A HAUTAPU FRUIT FARM.

One of the days list week,when journeying in Mr W. T (.'ari's mail end), we happened to notice Mill. Gillett hard at work in Irs orchard ;t what is commonly designated " Halt's " coiner at Hntltipu ; and, knowing that he is an enthusiastic worker at an) thing that he undertakes, we thought we could not do better than pay him a visit and sec how his fruit trees were promising for the furthcoming seison. As our business that day was with Mr A. L. Souter, who lives about a mile further along the road, we waved an adieu to Mr Gillett and shouted out to him that we should gM e him a '.all about 1 p.m. and taste the quality of his " Kai." We dropped off thecoich at Mr Sonter's and in-pectcd the new house he has just had erected and found it a most complete and wellfinished residence, n plete with all tint a young man contemplatiug matrimony could desire. Wo understand tint ere many weeks have passed Mr Souter will bring home his bride, and we are sure he will have the hearty good wishes of the whole of bis large circle of friends and acquaintances for the future welfare of himself and his wife, who is an equal favourite in the distiict with the genial " Arthur." Ou account of the previous engagement we had to decline Mr Stutter's invitation to inspect his orchard and stay to lunch, and we trudged off down the road to MrGillett's, where we arrived just as the luxch was upon the table. We have often heard it said that the parsons can " always strke it right " regarding what Sam Wtller called " wittles," but we think they cannot give the newspaper men many points in that direction. While at lunch Mr Gillett pursuaded us to try a mixture that he ho'ds in high esteem, namely bread and cheese and banana. It seems a peculiar dish, but take our advice and try if, and you will not regret it. Having lefreshed the inner man, we went out to have a look at the farm. It consists of 100 acres, and 30 of them are orchard. Viry few, if any, of the large number of people who journey along the main road between Hamilton and Cambridge have the slightest idea that Mr Gillett has such an extensive fruit farm, for the only part that is vis ble is just one small corner that adjoins the house, and at a lough guess any individual pas sine along the road would estimate the number of fruit trees at about 50 or perhaps 100, w hereas there are really upwards of 4500. When Mr Gilletc purchased the property, about ten years ago, there were about 100 fruit tices in a small orchard close to the house -the one that is visible from the road—which had bten plauted about twenty yiars since by Mr Pantham. They were of various kinds aril were not in a very good condition. Now the orchard coosists of about IS acres of apples, 10 of peaches, 2 of plums, some pears, nectarines, and a few chestnut and filberts. Ten years ago the codlin moth was not the dreadful scourge it now is, and Mr Gill°tt, as was then the custom, went iu largely for apples, but in doing so he made a big mistake, for, on the advice of the nurserymen, he put in a few of each of a number of varieties. He soon found out the error he had made and has remedied it as far as possible. Since that time he has planted the different varietits in blocks, so that when harvest comes round he has the smallest possible trouble in gathering the fruit. Mr Gillett has culkd out the vaiieties of apples that he found were iut good marketable ones, and he now has about five acres rf Ohinemuri, three acre 3 each of Gravenstein and Cox's OraDge Pippin, two of Stunner Pippin and the other varieties arc Blenheim Orange, Adams' Pearmain. Pride of Australia, Keinnettc uu Canada, Symonds' Whiter, Rhode Island GreeniDg, etc. The peaches are: — Briggs' Red May, Alexander, Early Rivers, Early Craw ford, Waterloo, Sea Eagle, Champion, Jubilee,Comet, Ifobbs' Lite and several others. The Waterloo peach is given in the nursery mens' catalogues as one of the earliest varieties, but the one Mr Gillett has is more midseason, notwithstanding the fact that lib obtained his supply fiom two different nurserymen ; nevertheless the one he has is a very good peach. His favourites .ire Champion—which we believe was raised by Mr J. Sharp, of Cambridge—and liobbs' Late. These two he considers the best all-round for Waikato lands, being hardy and good resistors of frost. He is not well pleased with Briggs' Red May, and has found it almost a failure at Eautapu. Of plums the chief varieties Mr Gillett grows are: Green Cages (three kinds—the early, or July ; tie mid-season, said to be the richest-fla-voured of all plums ; and the late), Purple Gage, Pond's Seedling, Takapuna Drop, Coe's Golden Drop Karly Rivers, Reine Claude de Bavay, Jefferson and several others. He has only one tree of Russian .'fainson, and that was in a very bad state when he took over the farm, but in consequence if receiving a little attention it now bears splendidly and this season he hopes to gather no less than half-a-ton off it ; judging by the appearance of it, we do not think he will be disappointed. It is a large tree, and when it was io cot neaily so good a state as at the present tine Mr Gillett took Tent, off it. The chestnut trees wire planted more for ornament than for use, but they bear freely. The hedc.e of Alberts is also now commencing to give a good return. We think the nut tribe do not receive the attention they deserve in the Waikato. Many settlers have a spare bit of ground on the south or west sides of their farms that would be most suitable for filbeit or cob nuts, which would answer a double purpose, for in a fewyears they would give a handsome return and also provide shelter. Mr Gillett has a fair number of pear trees. They are evidently in the best of health, for when we viewed them they were one mass of bloom, and should a third of it set the crop will be quite as much as the trees can earty if they are to bring it to perfection. Mr Gillett is most systematic in everything that he undertakes A glance at the p'ans of his orchard will convince you of that. They are quite works of art, and when he first embaiked in the fruit business Mr Gillett was continually referring to them, but now he knows the whole of his orchard by memory, and can at once name any tree you may point out. If there is anything that Mr Gillett is proud of, it is his shelter hedge of Thuja gigaotca trees. They are on the south and west sides of his middle orchard, and cover a distance of about 25 chains. They make without exception the very best shelter hedge we have yet seen, being close and well furnished down to the ground. That Mr Gillett treats his trees in a liberal manner is demonstrated by the growth they have made and their healthy appearance. In five years the trees in one orchard have attained a height of fourteen feet, and are proportionate in circumference. Last season Mr Gillett used fifteen tons of lime upon Ida orchard, in addition to other artificial manures, but the one he finds the most suitable for the trees is the dropping from fowls and turkeys, of which he kas a large flock. Mr Gillett is very energetic in fighting the various pests that infest orchards at different seasons of the year, but he pays particular attention to winter dressing." He has had a struggle to get rid of the moss and lichens, but the dressing he gave the trees during last inter has evidently settled all the parati' 1 giowths. It was the strongest Bordeaux mixture, the formula of which is given in the pamphlet issued by the Government. Much of Mr Gillett's orchard is only now comiug into bearing, but. he is, nevertheless, satisfied with the returns it has given so far, and we venture to predict that in the future he will have s'ill more reason to be pleased with his fruit farm.