MARKET GARDENING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 July 1939, Page 4

MARKET GARDENING

PROSPECTS IN WAIRARAPA

KAHAUTARA-PIRINOA AREA.

INVESTIGATION BY EXPERTS

URGED.

“I should say that the KahautaraPirinoa area in the South Wairarapa. with its sub-tropical conditions, should be most suitable for early market crops,” said Mr L. Robinson this morning, when referring to the possibilities of the Wairarapa district for* market garden purposes. Mr Robinson said lemons did quite well in that area, and that was a good indication of the generally favourable conditions. He was not going to say, without a survey, that all the conditions were ideal, but he was quite sure that early crops could be grown there. He had had experience with gardens there, and had found the Pirinoa district to be extremely early. Mr Robinson said he understood that expert advice had been received by the Government regarding the proposal to acquire the Kuku lands, and he considered that some similar investigation should be made of the Lower Wairarapa area he had referred to. Even Masterton market gardeners supplied a considerable quantity of vegetables to Wellington, and it was well known that Pirinoa was much earlier than Masterton as far as crops were concerned. There was no doubt whatever that vegetables as good as those grown anywhere could be produced in the Wairarapa. The productive capacity of the district in that direction was enormous. If market gardening were established in the Wairarapa as an extensive industry it might be worth £lOO,OOO per year to the district, said Mr Robinson, who urged that a survey of the position should be made without delay. He expressed the view also that with the influx of visitors for the centennial, unless some action were taken, vegetables would be in short supply in the city and elsewhere.