ARBORICULTURE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XIII, Issue 1021, 1 May 1869, Page 2

ARBORICULTURE.

[SECOND LETTER.]

TO THE EDITOR 01' THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE. Sir, — In continuation of my last letter I propose to describe the mode of planting fruit trees. In forming an orchard the ground ought to be trenched or subsoiled with a spade or plough to the depth of at least two feet, the previous summer, so that the ground may be in fine order for planting. But it is expensive work trenching where labour is high, and I would therefore suggest that where trenching cannot be economically done, that a pit should be dug at least three feet in diameter and two feet deep for each tree. In planting the tree use only the surface for the roots, and finish up with the soil out of the pit to render the tree firm. It is the greatest importance in planting trees, so as to ensure the maximum of success, that they are well firmed. If the young trees have been growing in rich soil it is necessary that they should have a quantity of old manure or finely pulverized soil for the small rootlets to feed upon : otherwise they suffer for a season, or even two. Trees of any kind ought never to be planted in wet weather if the soil is at all heavy, as the earth has a tendency to form into a paste round the roots and so retard their free growth. Dry weather ought especially to be chosen for planting fruit trees, and no water is required to be given at time of planting. The sooner trees are planted in autumn the better, and it would be as well to have it done after the fall of the leaf, as they commence taking root at once, which gives them a good start in spring. If not done in June the planting ought to be defered till August. July, as a rule, is the worst month to plant in. The ground then is very cold, and the trees do not make roots quick, as the ground is sodden with the rain which kills many of the young rootlets. It ought to be borne in mind that all bruised pieces of root ought to be cut off before planting. If the tree is large it will be necessary to stake it, but stakes are objectionable unless properly attended to, but if stakes are needed the best way to use them is to erect three in the form of a triangle at some distance from the roots, the three meeting round and over the stem which ought to be protected by a straw rope or rags to prevent the stakes chafing the bark off. This is the proper plan, but as they are very often neglected it is better to plant smaller trees which take a firm hold of the ground as they grow, and do not require staking. The distance at which permanent standard trees ought to be planted is from fifteen to twenty feet: at fifteen feet one hundred and ninety three trees, and at twenty feet one hundred are required for an acre of ground. It may be a good many years before tho trees fill up the space thus vacant, which meantime might be profitably occupied with dwarf trees and small fruit trees, such as currants, goosberries, &c. About two hundred dwarf trees and a like number of bushes could thus be planted on an acre and removed at any time without injury to the permanent trees, but rather prove beneficial than otherwise, as from the frequent attention that dwarf trees and bushes would require, the standards would have some security from being neglected. Standard trees require very little pruning after the head is fully formed. The selection of proper varieties ought to be carefully made as no one wants all one sort of fruit trees, nor does he want all early ones. It is only by a proper selection that fruit may be had of one sort or another all the year round ; of course none of the early fruits keep for any time, so that a few early varieties is all that is wanted, the care being to have the others to follow in succession.

Stone fruit, both early and late, are wanted in about equal proportion. I intended to have given a list of varieties most suitable, but as many varieties have local names unknown to the trade, while the tradenames are unknown, it might only mislead, but good established varieties ought only to be planted, as many of the new ones only bring disappointment after waiting years for the fruit.—l am, &c. James Laird. Wanganui, April 26, 1869.

NEW INDUSTRIES—BOILING-DOWN. Every new development of industrial progress is important, and specially so in a country like this. Even small beginnings are not to be despised, they mark stages in the march of progress, and great things have often come from littles. It is therefore with much satisfaction that we notice more than one industry starting up in our district, each having for its object to utilise and turn to profitable account the products of the country. Misfortune is not an unmitigated evil. The “hard times ” brought on by savage rapine, of which we unfortunately hear much and from which we suffer more,have caused our settlers to look carefully around them to see what can be done. The pressure has taxed their ingenuity as to how they may get along, and as necessity has been considered the mother of invention, the country may after all come to realise some of the sweet uses of adversity. There is abundance of natural wealth yet to be worked up in this new land. Nature providence has made ample riotous provision for the wants of every living creature. There is a boundless source of hope in this fact. Mr Cummins, our townsman, for example, has for a considerable time been experimenting with native flax, and after a large expenditure of time, patience, and means, by dint of talent and perseverance, he has succeeded in hitting upon a mechanical process whereby flax, which ere while grew unheeded and was rather a nuisance than otherwise, will become a staple industry of the country. Other gentlemen are now following in Mr Cummins’ wake ; a company is going into the thing on a somewhat extensive scale at Manwatu ; Mr Mussen is to start work in the same way a little beyond Kaitoki immediately ; regarding all which we shall have more to say on a future dqy. Meanwhile, we wish to direct attention to the boiling-down. Killing sheep for the sake of their tallow is a disagreeable necessity, but being a necessity it is as well to look it boldly in the face and make the best of it. Hence the settlers of the district are indebted to the enterprise of Mr Jackson and one or two others associated with him for starting an establishment of this kind. The thing is yet too new and untried to say much regarding its prospects ; indeed until the acf-count-sales of one or two shipments of tallow to London and the whole of the expenses attending them are known, the character of the venture cannot be correctly ascertained, but looking at the matter as facts and figures presently stand, it bids fair to be profitable to those who carry it on, and it will certainly enable the owners of sheep to get clear of stock, if not in a profitable way, at least, in the best way possible in the circumstances. The boiling-down establishment stands in one of M!r Jackson’s paddocks on the left bank of the river, with a plentiful supply of water alongside. The technicalities of the process need not be here described. It is sufficiently simple. The steam boiler contains 70 sheep at a time, and four hours or thereby are given to the boiling process, after which the tallow is run off into a cooler, and then into the casks. These closed up, and they are ready for shipment. Casks at present are one of the difficulties of the concern. They cost a great deal of money, and if the business progresses as it bids fair to do the most likely way of overcoming the high price will be the employment of a cooper on the premises. Three butchers are engaged, and from the beginning to the end of the process, these 70 sheep form a day’s work. The average yield of tallow from that number is estimated at one ton. Mr Jackson proposes to boil night and day, thus killing about 140 sheep every twenty-four hours, and making 2 tons of tallow a-day or 12 tons a week. Tallow is considered to be worth about 4d per lb in Wanganui. The price in London ranges from £4O to £SO per ton according to quality. Freight from Wanganui to London will probably be £3 a ton. With these figures before them our readers can form some intelligent idea of the commercial prospects of boiling down. Sheep are either bought at the establishment at such price as may be agreed upon, or the owners can have their sheep boiled down for them. In the latter case, the charge for boiling-down, we understand, will be :—For sheep up to 501bs, one shilling each ; for sheep, from 50 to 751bs, one shilling and sixpence ; and for sheep above 751bs, two shillings. The hind legs having little or no fat on them are not boiled down, and the owners of the sheep have these accounted for or returned to them.

Of course there is a number of minor arrangements and small sources of income connected with the establishment.. There are the skins and wool which will realise something. The offal of all sorts goes to feed pigs, a mob of which forms a necessary adjunct to the concern. By and bye we shall be able to report further progress. If we could now get beet root grown and manufactured—an industry which has been ably advocated in these columns, by Dr Curl of Rangitikei, the district would be in a fair way of tiding over its present depression and waiting hopefully for better times. Let us once more commend this suggestion to the attention our settlers.