VERY FLOURISHING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 235, 3 September 1937, Page 6

VERY FLOURISHING

BUSINESS, in AUSTRALIA. MR NATHAN’S OPINION. “Business generally is .very flourishing in Australia. There is iio question about that,” commented Mr lb J- Nathan, of Palmerston North, who returned yesterday from an extended visit to the Commonwealth, m an interview with the “Standard to-day. “The general consensus of opinion is that Australia and New Zealand shmiJ trv to get closer together; they aie laughing about the quarrel between the Governments m the matter of potatoes and oranges. We are of the same nationality, after all, and next year we will be within a few hours of each other,” Mr Nathan added In Australia oranges were selling at Id each, while New Zealanders paid 3d each. Conversely, there was a shortage of good-potatoes, and the visitor .had not been able to obtain-a good one during his visit. Vegetables had been very scarce before the ram had-saved the situation. , , . “They looked to be facing a 'cry serious situation in Victoria; one man. was carting out three tons of hay a day to his stud stock before the ram came and saved the situation. Hundreds of thousands of acres had remained unplanted waiting for tlie rain, but now it is all planted. LESSON FROM DOMINION. “They do lack a knowledge of grass management,” Mr Nathan declared. “They do not have the knowledge we have had for years in New .Zealand. When I tell them we are using 3 to 4 cwt of superphosphate to the acre they simply do not believe it. When they do use it the strength is 20,24 as against 40/46 in New Zealand. They definitely do not believe what you are stating. They just do not bother, having immense areas.” Mr Nathan mentioned that lie had obtained for a friend in Australia certified seed from the Dominion. The prospects were for a wonderful season for wheatgrowers. FLOWER CULTURE.

The wonderful gardens of Sydney and Melbourne proved a source ot immense interest to Air Nathan. The capi* tal of Victoria, in his opinion, is the garden'city of Australia, possessing more room than Sydney, though both cities abound in beautiful parks and gardens, and nicely laid-out streets.

“There are wonderful gardens in both places,” Mr Nathan said. “When it comes to individual plant-growing, there are as beautiful plants here, but they have got specialists there that we have not. The begonias cinerarias and schizantus are almost perfectly grown, in fact, flower growing is becoming a very big industry.” Quite close to Melbourne flower culture took place on a large scale. The hybridisation of orchids had particularly interested Mr Nathan, and he had brought back with him several specimens. “It takes twelve months for ‘the seed to set on the plants, another twelve months to germinate, and another. five years to develop—seven years in all. , But an extremely valuable flower results. Some people think it is an easy thing to grow orchids, but in the growing of these a little knowledge is a dangerous thing,” Mr Nathan commented. Mr Nathan had visited the chrysanthemum and dahlia shows, but his opinion was that ‘■‘anything \\e grow here is just as good, and some is a great deal better.’! ASPARAGUS GROWING. A source of interest had been the large-scale growing of asparagus tor commercial use in both Sydney and Melbourne, where immense quantities were consumed. New Zealanders, Mr Nathan said, did. not have the remotest idea ot how to grow asparagus, for the market —the process was totally different. When we set a bed it remained for many years, but in Australia the period was much shorter. The extent of the culture could be gauged from the fact that one paddock alone had contained 250 acres. The’beds were idle for part of the year, so the grower concentrated on producing a perfect article for'sale. The asparagus, of course, had to be cooked and oaten the same day it was picked to prevent it becoming fibrous.