FRUIT JUICES : A NEW INDUSTRY FOR OUR COUNTRY SETTLERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9139, 22 August 1888, Page 3

FRUIT JUICES : A NEW INDUSTRY FOR OUR COUNTRY SETTLERS.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—ln your Saturday's supplement appears a letter from "A Twenty-two Years' Settler in New Zealand," describing the beauties and other advantages of California, and stating what a number of things he has seen that might be imitated in New Zealand. Amongst other things he alludes to fruit-growing, which he considers will soon be the paramount industry to all others, as the market is practically unlimited. The produce he describes per acre seems astonishing. No wonder Messrs. Chaffey Bros.' scheme of irrigation is made to pay. Now, how is it we cannot do the same here, where we do not require to go to the expense of irrigation? Our soil is already well supplied with water. We do hot require to give £'200 an acre (the price quoted by our ex-New Zealander). Here the Government let us have it at 6d and Is per acre permanent rent, with the right of purchase at 10s and £1 respectively. Now, the expense and difficulty with us is to get our fruit to market. Every thing is eaten up in expenses as well as in many instances the want of roads to preserve the fruit from being turned into jam before it • gets to steamer or railway. Now a very large industry in America, and that is within the reach of all, especially our village settlers, is the preparation of fruit) juices. The new fruit juices are to be obtained everywhere in America as a most) * wholesome drink. One part added to seven ' parts of syrup form the fruit syrups, and when added to aerated water form a most refreshing drink. I have no doubt if these fresh fruit juices were only prepared here and sold at a cheap rate, they would become the chief drinks in the summer months. The vile artificial compounds now sold as fruit syrups would be done away with, and drunkenness, with all its attendant evils, greatly lessened. Let us go in for our special fruit settlements, that will, in a few years, keep a jam factory going. With honest industry, and less scheming, no one here need to go to California or anywhere else. This country is the finest in the world, and the fault is only with ourselves. I should be sorry to exchange it for the best part of California. —I am, &c., T. B. Hill. 150, Queen-street, Auckland.