WHICH MR M'KEE?

Nelson Evening Mail, 21 July 1916, Page 3

WHICH MR M'KEE?

(To the Editor.) gi r _r a vour issue of the 20th appears a letter signed "Arthur M'Kee," ehai lending some figures I compiled re th-t fruit vields of the future. I have ver. little "spare time at the present, an; must therefore be excused if I «irn briei I have before me as I write a bookie; entitled "Apples for Export." On tm inside I see that it " was written b> "Arthur M'Kee, President ot the ;; son District Fruitgrowers' Association. On the back cover I find an advertise ment from the Tasman Orchards Coy. ( \rthur M'Kee, general manager). An< now we have the letter above referred tc from just plain "Arthur M'Kee." Now. which Mr M'Kee is it? In my estimate I based the average trees to the acre at 130. Mr Tasman Orchard M Kee. on page 15, says, "But at Tasman West the model method has been adopted o.' planting- for more compact trees—l 6 ieel apart 'or 169 to the acre—etc' \ov. can understand, Mr Editor, how puw.ee T am to know which Mr M Kee it i.that questions mv figures when they are based en 39 trees to the acre less than those advocated by the President or the Nelson District Fruitgrower? Associa t'ion ' Then again o:t page 23 i imcj "There are 8511 acres in fruit in tin Nelson district, representing about 1361.750 trees." This works out at 16C tree* to the acre. I stated that my ca - dilations were based on the coming int< profit of the" trees at the 7th Oi one of the Mr M'Kee's says that "Ar important feature of the rasman Fruit Colonv, etc., etc.. until the tree? come into profit (five years from planting). Now again. Mr Editor, you can see how awkward it is for me to know which Mr M'Kee complains that my estimate U too high, when I am two years lower than the basis adopted by the genera manager of Tasman Orchards Company Trulv I am a much perplexed man . 11 mv estimates are too high of one case mr tree at .seven years old and an increase of 4-case per tree per annum, will the Mr M'Kee that wrote the lotte.taking me to task "in the purine interc«t!" explain what the production and increase should be, for I notice the President of the Nelson District i'ru.tgrow-

-rs' Association says on page 11 of thi jooklet above referred to, "but the ex verienre of growers of wide knowledge nd long experience sets the standard a. 40 per" acre nett return annually froiv n orchard tended rffcd managed with oi .inary care." On the 160 trees to th ere 'that- the President advocates, i ■tear.s 5s nett per tree. In conclusion, 1 isk you again, Mr Editor, which M; I'lvee wrote that letter? I am, etc., H. O. HILL. Mount street, July 20th.