MILLIONS OF PLANTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 6 October 1936, Page 4

MILLIONS OF PLANTS

SENT TO TOBACCO GROWERS I NEW SEASON’S REQUIREMENTS PRICKING SEEDLINGS OUT For the grower of tobacco a new season is beginning as the seed sown by the nurserymen in mid-August in boxes in the glasshouses has reached a suitable size for pricking out, and during the past week the small plants have been carried bv a succession of lorries into the country. For instance, one nurseryman in Nelson this year raised 5.000 boxes of seedlings, representing approximately 12.000,000 plants, or almost double his last year’s output, and to-morrow will see his last consignment away on behalf of the firm for which he grows. During one day as many as 2,000 boxes were sent away. The whole consignment was made up of several different varieties to suit different classes of soil in areas ranving from Dovedale, down the Motueka river valley to Riwaka. The number of pl.-.nts in the boxes varies from 1,000 to 3,000 according to the setting, and the growers are guaranteed 1,500. The small plants are pricked out into special beds by the grower, and covered with calico, and after a period of four to six weeks are ready to be planted out. This year there arc many mote growers of the leaf than formerly, the acreage being largely increased. Contracts have also been increased to the full limit of the individual kilns. Thus it will be readily seen that the industry’s value to the district is greater than ever, and that it is providing more employment. For the Nelson district grower the near future brings two enemies to his crop to be guarded against—frost and hail. It is noteworthy that blight, which sometimes attacks the leaf elsewhere, is not a danger here.