THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 48, 27 February 1890, Page 2

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

(To the Editor.)

Sia,— Having heard Mr Sfcawn Obahuhu lectui-e on " Tho Fruib Industry,' and also read his lecture at Bell's buildings ou Friday, I am very much struck at the great apaEhy "displayed by our settlers in the above important subject. It seems very evident that fruit-growing has been the making; of a considerable portion of America, which twenty years ago was in a very similar position to what IN ew Zealand is ali the present day. The Americans had grown wheat,raisedcabtle, and lostmoney, »U of which is just what is occurring here now, but unfortunately our settlers do nob seem to have the grit of the Yankees. Speculative mining and horse-racing seem to have suchaholdon them, theyarealllikeMicawber "waiting for something to turn up," by means of which they can raise the wind without soiling their hands. Now, would it nob be much more manly for us to follow tb.9 example of our American cousins and develop tho fruib industry, which i 3 doing so much for them ? '

With the above object in view, would it not be very advisable to secure for this districu Mr Spawn and his patents? All he wants, so I understand, is to have a. few people join him in forming a syndicate to take up his patents and commence operations. Then, if thought advisable, ifc might be floated into a limited liability com pan y, and operations much extended. The outside aidhe requires is only a paltry £1,000 — a sum which is many a time over passed through the totalisator at many of our smaller race meetings. Even if thsre were no prospect of a very good return for the invested money, would it nob be a very fitting way of commemorating our jubilee for ten, say, of our business men in Auckland to subscribe £100 apiece to give the country a lift oub of the mire of depression ? The operations of the Company would be: The evaporating of fruit and vegetables, the making of cider and cider-vinegar, the manufacture and sale of evaporators, spray pumps, fruit baskets, etc., and the sale of garden tools, insecticides, etc., etc., in fact to enter into' business as fruit industry developers.

Would it not be a etanding disgrace to us to allow Mr Spawn to go away from here when hi 3 remaining would, without doubt, mean hundreds of thousands put into the pockets in the district within the next ten or fifteen years j for, although wo are difficult to sbavb, once under way, others would enter the business, as witness the creameries and flaxmille.

Iβ there not far more money to be made out of this industry than out of mining- ? Instead of loafing about with our hands in our pockets waiting for Puhipuhi or some of the other new finds to turn out boomers, let us at once go in for tho planting of fruit and vegetables, nob in large farms, as at Tamaki, but let each fanner put in from five to ten acres of trees. - Let a syndicate be formed to acquire and run Spawn's patents, with Spawn himself at the head.for he seems the right) stuffy and in ten years' time, I feel sure, judging from how things have gone in America, Auckland would not know herself, even if nob another ounce of gold or silver were ever brought x>6 grass. Hoping to see some of our patriotic men making an immediate move,—l am, etc., Fkoitgbo-web.