FAMILY GATHERING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 6 January 1923, Page 12

FAMILY GATHERING.

CANTERBURY PIONEER'S RETURN

Probably the^ .largest family gathering^ ver held in $Jew .Zealand was that which took place on the racecourse at liongiora on New Year's Day, ih order 4o\w<elcome Mr, James/ Boyd, who, after an absence of 56 years in .California, has returned to New Zealand on his way round the world: Ninetyfour relatives attended a banquet. The chairman (Mr. W. Banks, of Raijgiora), in proposing the toast of the guest, said this old pioneer had just completed the enoraious task of writing : the history of -'Ttiverside, in California, and was now on his way round the world at the age of 84, which might be considered a record in 'itself. ' '■• . . ' ' Mr. Boyd, in replying, said that in the early sixties his father, John Boyd, and a fahiily <of four boys and four girls, had landed ( in New Zealand, with the astounding result that there were now 328 direct, descendants at present in New Zealand. Speaking of California, Mr. Boydsaid that of the many flourishing industries grape growing; is amdngstr j__e foremost. iThere is one vineyard alone of 6000 acres. When prohibition was introduced, however, many of the large proprietors suffered from severe frig"ht. Some sold out at a huge sacrifice. Very soon a ready market was again found, which placed the-growers in ,a'much better position than they were previously. People commenced wine in their own homes, and instead of the usual lOdol. per ton for grapes, the growers were receiving 10 times that amount/Thus, instead of the .difference going to the middleman, as was formerly the case, the whole profit came direct v to the growers. . California was a great fruit country. One of his nieces had written to him: 'Twill come to California when tlie oranges are <ripe on the trees," and" he liad replied, that she could not come when the oranges were not' ripe on the trees,, as- they were ripe all the year round. When he left California the latest figures were tnat 250 million boxes were being 'shipped annually. He felt proud in having had a hand in making that industry what it is to-day. In the Imperial .Valley, about 300 feet below sea level, the soil was being made up of river silt. They grew lettuces on 15 and 20 acre plots, which reached up to lOOOdbl. per acre, while melons were railed East in large quantities. , He knew of an 'instance where 10,600 carloads of about 25 tons each, owing to excessive heatj had to lie cleared out and railed East within six weeks. The railway companies made every provision for handling large \ quantities of fruit, 'and on one crossContinent line alone one million l^ons /of ice were' used annually for j cold storage purposes, and there were- five such lines. \ ■ . ..''.'. '-'.'!)