FIRST STEPS IN FRUIT-GROWING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 410, 20 January 1909, Page 5

FIRST STEPS IN FRUIT-GROWING.

CHOOSING THE;DISTRICT. THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE. 11. When vo considered the advantages of on even and nearly level surfaco and dee,) through d r amage, the question of climate remained still an important one to be considered Climate is affected by elevation, by mountain ranges, by proximity of a large body of water, but shelter trees, by diaraage, etc.

Warm Nights Desirable.'■;...;.■■ y'. 1 i ',' : (When'v..theisu"n>goes down the' .air cools ,mbre- rapidly-than' water.'. Therefore, '-if; a large.river pr:the;'sea I 'be : 'near by, they tend to" keep the night air than -the night air' inland! J;This"-'is \ an': advantage,- because warmth; at .night is-'greatly. appreciated ..', by plants. • >It'is: said, by scientists .that' plants g'ath'er.:.theiri-raw materials', during the .daylight. :and manufacture- 'them into;.': plant tissues'at night'.-■.This"work; .goes..'on/more actively.in warm , ; nights than,in nights ..that, are-cold.'. Hot-days; and ! ,cold. nights'are'riot' conducive .to 'steady, .development. berry growers know well tbevalue of. a -warm night^.in;.ripening-and colouring'their-.ber-ries.-.::-;■:;;■ ■•'.■;/:' :■.'■.;■'•>■ .-.■■'■■■'.'■•'■•■.. ■>:";■.-'■;: J. , ■ Where;'the'- Frosts Lurk.' i;; V-V-\ V<:;'-^ , !^ : v. .'lt may '..at .first seem: paradoxical.'to., say that,' although;coldness;, increases -with ;.altitude,. yet .the night air 'of hilltops'is- warmer •than .that of. the ; valleys:. :".,'i'his is because warm--air. floats.jto '.the > top and,■ cold "air, being heayjer;' soaks down, into , the -valleys. :The. cold .air; may'be likened: .to-'water-wh'ich the.:,drains- arevintehded to icarry. , awayX If we would have'■ the:night air. of our orchard must' provide;the necessary' "drainage": to let the-cold ; air , sink, down.>■ -A>typical ; ; orchard: site■';'for -.' this ..'purpose would'.'p.e pivwell-sheltered'land,.:nearly: flat,' surround;-. Ed: ,'by country; : ■ But •.this- is ; not ihtended'^tovimeari';such;-a ; ' ,a"s ;V a .."pocket">in'.lthe hills. '/Pockets; , -surrounded by,-higher.' country, act '.as frost ..traps":- ■ They would be: liable,.-by; daylight -.heat, -M stimu-. later/early.,growth of;leaf/and'!blossom;v;arid . then, i'iby. l night,frosts, 'to'• destroy the:'young fruit that\is..formihg.?i One;-.thpref6re,'would : seek for• land-;which;'while-low : 'iri yet- higher! than : some of - the.'land; adjoining.! ■Is-Lower':Hutt:a^Gocd■ Dlstrlotr■ '■ t'■*■'■%■ '< .unfortuna'telyjiis'a restricted area;'and'.is-fast:beco'ming;moro restricted by: the; progress"'of -building..' 'Yet av'discussibn of, district .'.will', facilitate .'-the: appraisement of : bther;districts":similar in their geography.-: Lyirig,"a.s it''does/'between : the hills/-;Lower 'HuttMs ■the: • draining Aground: of' , the ■' cold ' night' : air of<the:mountains.:'.This.coolirig elementyihoweverV "iS'vfort'uhately .counteracted warmth: emitted .by the'sea, and' between: the. .twp'forces'th-ere':should result a'-blimat'e'that is amendable to fruit culture.'. A;.different'.state of ■ affairs.'-charaoterises the .plain toward 'Wai- : nuW-mataV'-Here.thAjre'is a flat'like , LpWef Hutt,:which receives the cold air-'of : the"hillsi , but the hills; close ; in;.all;.round, and thus .'form a'..batrier'•■^hich : preverits"'-',the"Jngress.'-'bf. 'Warmth*;fronj,','iihe'..sea;... It is;'a' ; pocket■ amonc ' hillsiland .pleasant; days ; : wouM 'alternate #jth ! nights r. of. 'sharp -.frost; :;;■:.•,>:,. -J\ v' ; ; ', : ,'.■: :Suriny,; JolinsonvlHe, : - :^-;' : - .;: :'r'Johnsonville'' isv'sunny ;ahd,!Eomewhat. eie-i : vated;;rlt ; should:'EDoape-many .night frosts;. but,it'-:possesse's.:little' 'country level -■enough for 1 extensive.fruit,.oultufe;'arid .the,.rotten-:. '. rock compositon of";, the.: hills '..makes .them liable .to;:suffer : .greatly in..dry ■ weather.' Some Johrisoiiville -teeotSonsCwbuld , . give:- good crops of; strawberries if "a plentiful supply of: water for irfigatipn.-were Shadberries like plenty.of Eu'nligHt,.arid are'speoially.-'par-.tial 'to; rolling;country,,:'where.-the perfect • drainage''.encbura'ges 'deep root : action"; ;■;- -The leaf: blighti'Hvhich- often' so 'sefiously'scourges lotsr-country:' usually gives .'less , 'trouble ori"the higher .levels'.. .This: is probably. due : td;. i: the v .excellent 'draihage .and':t6; : .thej work /of 'the win'dsj yjwhichv'cdns'tantly;'sweep':the;-'blight 1 .spofes :^.way : from'..the;Mve's.' v ßut:& S9il'bf.fJ6hns6nville r is''s'adly limited! \Vaiivui wbu'ldV'suit'',tliej'smallifruits; 'like-: currants;' gooseberries; raspberries, , ' arid also some varffe- 1 ties'qf.apples:/..'The;'three. districts;mentioned' .represent''three':distinct' oxamples, of■' 'soils' from;a. fruitgrpwqr'B.Vpoint';of:'yiew; : ' :i;;''- .; The^QualJtlesVofj;thp;lWest'--.Cqast^ ; ;,E'evin.-;lias.bcen;booriiedas.a fruit-, district JV .and.~nqt;svitlipu.t.good; reason.-' .Like:most bf : the vWest-'Goast'Sdil, from Paraparaiiniu iip' tp;Taranakij".the;land; in .patches; suits fruit 1 tiees.-;.lnvparts^of-i.Levin;.-however,. the : -*sbil ; isihclemcntly^vet'.'/So'rinich' , was this trouble ■experienced , 'at/tlie. Wpraro:a;:Sfate'' :, Farni : ' : -m': its 'years' , ' that .iri'.tho, origmal'o'rcn'ard : : (planted : : as ;,a'V corive'niehce.'.to' 'those "residenti there:.rathe'r'-thM'as nniobject lcssori in cbm- : mercial.fruit^grbinri^)^;:the: trees \vere'planted .on so" as: to .'be ; '.'out of : the «-'atei ; '-'! : . That :day'is: past:iioV,;ancr.drainaf;e, has done; :its work.:,-Peach-ticfts:flourish at Levin, when' well; treated; but .there is a. constant fear' that ,late;frpsts will, cut:off: this somewhat tender' crop; ;._All' ; .the :.loam.V,'.an'd.. clay soil up .'the vyest"'Coast , ; is' excellent 'for ' .fruitigrpwirig, , . with,;, due-'care for'. drainage; and'' for ; apples' ■and: pears ;ji has .no ,drawbacks—except' .its' high ..-price;:; Stony.', soil 'should 'be .■ dvoided -i not because'.it-'will, ! not grow: fruit; but :be-" cause/of the irritation: .that will-be caused ! by the, stones .constantly.-".clogging the- .instru-* Stony.: land:and land: that'is ..full; of thfirrbotsf of .-recent" timber.-; cannot- -be v'erv : >vell mole-drafned. :: ~ • •:■;.:■■;. ;:'..'.■:-.:■'■:■-

' '..->■; •■■;:;"-;■-;;!;: 1 VVPfW 1 !? /Wellington -is regarded 'as ; the■ bisM i market in.^ew-Zealand for fruit,'as'wellW for •.market.'garden', produce *and eggs.'" 'But' . an .y .',«te ■ chosen; for.'fruit-growing.' sfiould be' as-near-as: possible .to; one -or.: more good: tqw.Bß; ;. .If'.fruit;land -ten ,miles' : from Wel-' ! .lmgtpn:could; be; bought at per "acre ! fnd .similar.land.2o,miles-away could'be'gbt 1 ab.fclOO.per.a.cre, it would not be the ■cheapest-laud that-it would bo/the wisest 1 .J°.-M-,V ■■•Interest : on.tho,extra;£loo ; per acre! .tor the,nearer land could- be "only (put at,£s or -advantages would'.be : worth-much more, than-that ievery year.: i'lf'' one^can'.drive; allon'e'.s.'produce .to town,.with-' but .'railage,,.there- :would , bo a-'savinfii' of ; more ;,thari ; :;£s'-'per.. acre', in , freight,' there ; ■Would^beTjid:'injury'by careless handling of: railway,men,-andthe fruit'could'be'deposited', shops.y'.This;ipurriey'. could'• be done by. road-, for;lO'_miles; : ;but] not'so well for 20 miles".-The returning cart can. bring'back'' manures and' other weighty-materials. • .'The horses; are' needed : .fbr':orchard'"'cultiy'atidh,'and' \ very r little■ would ;heed : ,to; i b*a charged. "against the'' ;loadsi;for :extra horse:food ; ;:;ln ; ;case 'of 'e'x-ii ptirfci ■ th.e, advantage .'of avoiding rough hstndling ;by 'train,' , .steamer, 'or 'cartage omoials 'is ,1 : very:great.;;■••:.;'i! : .;. : -"-;\ i ■■''■■ .■-"•■ : .-. ,, ; ■ •; ■■ .■■■■/'.•■■.•'j V,v)Ve-h*a : ye--see^; ; '-th'eSivtKayin' , the :: needs-' to look for, land; .;ijear-.a/gMd--.marKeilii'lan'd-tHat'is nearly, 1 level,! , but ■■lends;' itself ; tb;gopd : drainage,' land" thatdoes;nb.t'.catch :tho'';dramage of.cold air from' the- hills- :'pr ; at" least',is wanned by sea in-■ fluence,: and-lahd that.is powerfully' sheltered: ■on all. , sides. ,:;;When.this : .is.idonerthe: of .varieties., and .their ..planting- may. be' 'be-= gun, One;has.tb' consider: which sorts.pay; best now, and which .will pa-j- best in the' iuture: -y' : r\ \f t .:'\'- '■-,;';. ~; }'■. ■'". ...}-.■ ; .•';■'..■."./.■>•'. . ~'r,(To 'be. continup6) ..'.. , .':. .',,-■;; \