THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15664, 18 July 1914, Page 11

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

ARTICLE No. 3. Tire subject specially to bo dealt with in this article is the cast of bringing an orchard into bearing under the scheme of supervision inaugurated by the Nelson Companies under tho organisations of Messrs. J. T. Horn, Ltd., of Wellington and Nelson. The cost of the land is in varying quantity, and cannot, therefore, be estimated. Neither can the clearing, which may be heavy or light. It is, therefore, advisable to assume that the section has been purchased with shelter trees planted and cleared ready for ploughing. Assuming this, the work to bo carried out in tho first year is as follows:— Per aero. £ e. A Ploughing ... 1 0 0 Harrowing (twice), at 2s 6d ... 0 6 0 Cost of trees (160 to acre) GOO Ten cultivations at 2s 6d 16 0 Fencing ... ... 2 0 0 Planting ... 015 0 Odd work, subsoiling if necessary, say another 1 10 0 Total for first year ... ... £12 15 0 SECOND YEAR. Per aero. £ s. d Ploughing (much easier) ... ... 012 6 Harrowing (twice) 0 6 0 E'ght cultivations at 2s 6d 10 0 Pruning and spraying ... 010 0 Dieting and-hoeing ... 10 0 General, say ... 010 0 Total tor second year ... ... £3 17 C In the third and fourth years the work is similar, but may bo assumed to cost 10s more per acre owing to the trees bcine larger. Thus total for third year 54 7s 6d per acre. Total for fourth year #4 17s 6d per acre. Total spread over four years £25 17s 6d per acre, say £26. In the fifth year the least that may be expected is for the product to more than cover the expenses. Thus it will bo seen that the purchaser of say 30 acres at £20 per acre, total £600, who plants and maintains 20 acres of this at £26 per acre, total £520, and pays supervision £1 per acre per annum, four years £80, has a property costing £1200 in all, which is arranged for him on easy terms. In the next article it is proposed to deal with the returns which may be expected from an orchard which cost this amount.*