EARLY DAYS OF HORTICULTURE IN THE HUTT VALLEY.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 29, 11 December 1930, Page 13

EARLY DAYS OF HORTICULTURE IN THE HUTT VALLEY.

1 (By H. Poole, F.R.S.S., N. 8.&, N.Z.)

-The. love of lome and flowers are characteristics of the. British. race arid these traits were well developed in the early settlers -who lauded on !Petone ."beach in 1840. Prominent amongst these settlers who saw the great possibilities of the Valley were P. A. Molesworth and A. Ludlam, both of whom, took up land near the Epatt river, Mt. Ludlam laying out and founding wib&t was known in recent years as the BellevoJe hardens. The first Horticultural Society i

New Zealand was formed in Wellington in November 1841 with Colonel Wakefield president and Dr. Featherston as secretary. Considering the many cares and difficulties attending a new settlement, this speaks volumes in favour of the taste existing amongst the early pioneers for horticultural pursuits. The first show was ield, on 24th January 1842, most of the exhibits of note coming from the Hutt Valley exhibited by F. A. Molehwortih. and A. Ludlam.' Two cabbages grown on mere shingle at Petone within 30 yards of the beach, weighed 21*lbs and 121bs. Some of the kidney potatoes grown at the Hutt measured 9 inches in lengjth^ turnips were shown weighing 2i and ZYbs. Every other sort of vegetable figured on the list of prizes and seedling geraniums and dahlias represented the .flower garden. . • ■

The* first Horticultural Show in t&e Butt Valley was held on the 27th. D.eeem'ber 1842. Prizes were given for every class of .vegetable; for wheat, barley, oats, Tye grassj and for strawberries, cherries, gfooseflberries and black currants. Three prizes were also given for cottage gardens. The 1842 season was reckoned rather an inclement one in New Zealand, but barley was cut in the beginning of December on the .banks of the Hutt River, which weighed 74Ibs to the bushel.

The first nursery in the colony appear ed to have been established in 1844 by Mr. 'William Trotter. Mr. Trotter came out to New Zealand, with his wife and a family of two sons and two daughters in May, 1843. In a letter to the '^Gardeners' drroniele" dated May 1844, he says: "I have taken a few acres in the valley of the Hutt, where I intend to establish a fruit garden and nursery. It is one of the sweetest spots that ever was beheld toy the eye of man. The beautiful river Hutt encloses one .part-of • it, and tie other is belted by a range of mountains which aTe crowned by the.most splendid trees from 50 to 150. feet high. We have had two Horticultural' Shows, since I lave been-here, at which I was one of the judges, both times, and it would surprise y,ou to seewhat ,this place produces, as it'were, only four years old. I have 'budded thepears upon the white thorn which is doing well. In fact, bu*dding and, grafting can be carried on nearly the whole year /round." 33^ another letter, dated the 2nd January, 1846, he says: "I suppose you saw my former .letter about my succeeding so weil in grafting and budding fruit trees, especially peaxs ; on white thorns, which I assuTe you make most thand"some trees. I have a row of apple trees betfore my own door, about 15 months old, fully 4ft high, and branching out into splendid heads. There are also trees of my own working whicli bore apples this year. We have a splendid crop of fruit this season considering the age of the trees. Over at. Messrs Molesiworth and Ludlam's gardens, which have been under my care ever since I came to tlSie Hutt, I was obliged to thin out the apples on most of the trees. We have also a nice little vinery. I planted the vines fifteen months ago and there are a few bunched on them this year, which will ■be exhibited at the Horticultural Shoiw., These are the first gfapes that have

ever been grown in this colony. I have also a fersv bunches showing out of doors which I have every reason to believe will come to perfection. We have such a fine autumn and winter here. I took six first prizes at the fruit showlast year, and I expect to take a few more this year. I have some splendid melons and cucumbers coming on. In fact everything looks well, for we 'have a beautiful soil and a beautiful climate." ;

Extract from a letter written by Mr. Trotter, 1850. "River Hutt, January 11th, 1850.—My wife and youngest son are up every morning gathering gooseberries for Wellington by half past four o'clock. We must have had at least 1500 -quarts this season. We sell them at 9d per quart, I should think we have about fifteen bushels of apples. You must think that strange seeing that my trees were only planted three years ago last June. The labyrinth that I made of fruit trees are met, and some of them attained their height. It is one the same plan as Hampton Court but*bn a smaller scale. I suppose it is the first that Iras crossed tie Line and I assure you sir, if you were to see it now, my fine trained trees covered with excellent fruit, you would say it looks quite as well as the Royal Yew Hedge at Hampton Court, and answers my pur pose much better when I can get 3/per dozen for my fruit. A person called' oh me last year and told me he had brought apples for sale. I told Mm I would stop the import, so I took him to one of my Hawthordens. He was quite astonished and gave me 2/- for six apples to convimce the Van Dieman's Laikll people that they were beaten 'by New Zealand. My daughter picked 350 from a KesWiek Codlin and left 200 to ripen. I thought of Old England on Jifew Year's r>"ay with her frost and snoiw and here we were from morn to night selling ripe gooseberries. I had hundreds of people from Wellington to visit me that day.":

A book would be required to give in detail all the prominent horticulturers and garden lovers from 1840 to 1930, but one wortihy of mention is Thomas Mason, the founder of Masipns Gar-

dens. The Gardens were for many years the chief attraction of visitors to the Hutt. Mason Gardens was considered by * experts to be the most complete and. finest in the Southern Hemisphere. The cutting up and disposing of* it for building sections was «. great loss to the Valley. .

, The foregoing notes and extracts are sufficient to prov& the .wonderful fertility of tthe Hutt Valley in the early days In these later day? the claim to the fertility of the soil still holds good.

The love of horticulture by the early settlers has survived through the years ; and hortictitural societies, have carried on since the formation in 1842 with vaTyin;g fortunes and different managements until 1903 when the present Society was formed, which claims to hold the most successful shows in the Dominion.

Ninety years of progress has transformed a valley of scrub and bush elad^ hills of Tugged grandeour to a peaceful valley of beautiful homes and surround-ings--a lasting memory to the early pioneers who laboured and endtrred that those wio followed them may benefit by their labour. * J ' .■'.'•' - ,-