THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28, 1901. FRUIT GROWING.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 134, 28 November 1901, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28, 1901. FRUIT GROWING.

It is quite a number ot years now since the firat case of strawberries was exported from Wai. mate, and every one knows how the acreage planted in this fruit has gone on increasing until Waimate is famed from one end of,the island to the other for its yield of the luscious fruit* The

growers of from upwards of an acre may now be counted iu dozens, and it is nothing unusual I to see a ton of strawberries leave the town, in one day. The man who first conceived thq idea of growing strawberries in bulk in Waimate certainly conferred a benefit on the town which is deserving of recognition, but much yet remains to do. Among agriculturists as a rule there is a disinclination to learn and adopt new methods of dealing with their land, and this disinclination is shared by the strawberry growers. The Marghuerite strawberry was the first introduced into Waimate, and all the growers are still, planting this variety, despite the fact that both the Government Promologists who visit Waimate have declared it one of the poorest varieties qrown. The growers seem content to go on planting this strawberry, without paying any heed to warnings from men who ought to know, or without taking the pains to experiment with any other variety. Commenting iu his annual report on strawberty growing in Waimate district, Mr 8. J. Fitch, Government Pomologist, says that "the industry here is not in a satisfactory condition. Marghuerite is the only strawberry grown and it is most desirable that a fruit of better quality and with.a longer season should be cultivated." Nothing could be plainer than this, and it is to be hoped that groweis will take it to heart.

Another thing growers would do well to study is the cultivation of their fruit. We have had examples of strawberry gardens into which a great amount of labour has been put, and these have invariably more than paid for the extra cultivation by the increased quantity and quality of the fruit, and yet the bulk of the growers are content to cultivate their strawberry beds just sufficiently to keep the weeds down. As for manuring their laud, they wouldn't dnsam of it. As another proof of the conversative nature of the farmer fruitgrowers of this district, we need only point out that the strawbeny is the only fruit grown in quantity here. It strikes any stranger coming to the town that if one fruit will grow well in a place, another should be equally successful. However much it might dawn on a local grower that some other fruit than strawberries might ba grown with profit, not one of the large planters has made any real trials with larger fruits. " The strawberry has paid me well in the past, therefore I will grow the strawberry always " would seem to be the motto of Waimate growers. It is true that during the past year or two raspberries have been successfully grown on a small scale by one or two growers, but there seems no disposition as yet for anyone to plant a large area. In the Nelson district no such apathy is displayed, and while Nelson possesses advantages that Waimate can never hope to have a great deal mor« could be done than at present. In the Motueka district alone there are over one hundred growers of raspberries, with areas varying from one acre to upwards of nine acres, and this area is increasing every year. Currants and gooseberries could be grown for commercial purposes here, and this district is well suited for larger fruits of all kinds. Growing the fruit is, of course only one process to be gone through, for there is no use growing it unless the fruit can be marketed to advantage. In the past the disposal of the strawberries has not been altogether satisfactory, and this year the growers intend to send a representative to Christchorch to look after their interests. They are, however, not unanimous on this point, a fact that is to be regretted,' as in union is strength, and a body of men can do twice as much as the same men working singly. In Nelson a dispute has arisen with the jam factory as to the price to be paid for the. fruit, and consequently the growers have combined to dispose of their produce in another -way. This is by pulping the fruit and exportit in jars and tins. We are strongly of opinion that a jam factory would pay iu Waimate, and while giving growers a good market for their fruit would encourage the growing of all the smaller kinds at. least. The, capital required'' Weuld not., be large, and though Waimate people •do not as a rule feel inclined'to have''anything to do with companies, there is no doubt inch ft concern, could easily be

floated locally. Surely if it pays to send the jam strawberries to Dunedin, it would pay better to make jam here. Then, dozens of people have a small amount of such fruits as gooseberries and currants that they do not want, and this could b<* made profitable instead of being allowed to go to waste. With a jam factory in Our midst, or with a company engaged in pulping fruit, there would be no waste, and a. new. and valuable industry would be started in this town of few industries.