DOES FRUITGROWING PAY?

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16372, 28 October 1916, Page 5

DOES FRUITGROWING PAY?

COMMENT ON RECENT ARTICLE. BRITISH COLUMBIA'S OPINION. The modest article appearing recently under the first beading has attracted much attention by reason of its detailed figures. No comment can, however, be of greater interest than an article by J.' G. Bealby, Esq., author of "Fruit Ranch- - ing in British Columbia," which appears' id Chambers' Journal. The article is practically a general description in most racy form of tho every-day life of a fruitgrower. Mr. Bealby's quoted returns from orchards are, however, so much greater than those which we expect and on | which we base our figures in New Zealand, that it is worth whilo to quote his words verbatim. ' He says:—" A seven-year-old apple I tree will give over 1201b of fruit, and its crop will sell for 4 dollars 50 cents (18s 9d English) up to 7 dollars 50 cents (31s 3d English), while trees in full bearing produce as much as 2801b up to 9001b, tho gross profit being from 43s to 150s, or at the rate of £100 to £300 per acre per annum." Mr. Bealby goes on to give instances of cherry trees showing a net yield of These figures are somewhat of an eve-opener ns against our estimated return of £30 to £40 per acre net. New Zealand,- however, still -appeals to us as the apple-growers' paradise. Our uniform climate, regular crops and alternating seasons against the Northern Hemisphere, are factors ' unrivalled elsewhere. Especially are we fortunate in that our producing season is the bare market throughout tho Old World. Thousands clamour for our fruit just when wo have it to sell. All the facts are, however, fully stated in the book " Fruit Lands of the North." Copies are obtainable free from the secretary, Box, 603, Wellington. For the convenience of local resident a supply of > the books has been obtained by Grav and i Cockroft, Queen Street, who will be ' pleased to hand a copy to anyone inter-1 ' ested. '