FRUIT CULTURE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 58, 4 March 1909, Page 5

FRUIT CULTURE.

TO THE EOWUDOE.

Sir, —The fruit growing industry has been receiving a grand impetus through the columns of your paper, and the formation of a fraiit growers' association has been moated. The fruit industry is only in its infancy as yet in Marlborough.. Although, we have the climate and the soil to produce fruit of the very .finest quality, both in flavour and colour, no great strides iii laying out large orchards have been yet made- A Mqtueka grower of apples (Mr lanes) told me that it was impossible to ;get the colour in the fruit over Ms way, especially in apples, as we do lieaje. He attributes it to the nature of our soil. While looking at me Stunners in my orchard, he said it was Impossible to produce them with such rftne colour, and said that they were equal to any of the Califormari apples lie had ever seen. As to the orchaitd pests, which haVe deterred so many people from'planting trees, I woraift just simply say that if iihe trees are sprayed properly and our Inspector's (Mr Rabbitt's) instructions are cariie nd out, the codlin moth will not he f ounu in much of the fruit- Any person tfchat is interested can call on me, :-aiid|l will show him two lots of trees, one sprayed as per Instructions, the other neglected; and if sudh 'person is not convinced after seeing Ithem that spraying will save :atlea^t'9s per cent, of his fruit, I Phalli 'be greatly surprised. Now, sir, as we have the climate, the soil, and everything -favourable for the fruit growing industry, and the pests are really -not to be feared, why should we not liave large areas in fruit of the 'best 'of kinds, and thus help to save '3Sew 'Zealand from sending £80,----000 or £100,000 aw,ay annually for fruits Tvn'idh ought to be produced in our owiucauntry. I maintain that instead of sending this large amount away every year we should be exporting fruit-ourselves to the same amount. I aiu calling the fruit growers and those interested in the fruit industry iogetner to discuss the advisability <of forming a fruit growers' • association, and. I shall endeavour to have reports from several associations in New Zealand to lay before a preliminary meeting. Thanking you for your past endeavours to help build up this important Industry,—l am, etc., H. JELLYMAN.