FOR EXPERIMENTS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 8, 1 August 1930, Page 6

FOR EXPERIMENTS

an orchard at nelson NELSON, July 21. Negotiations have been completed foi Hie purchase in the Nelson district of an j experimental orchard, for which Cabinet | has made a grant. 1 The Edyvean orchard, which has been purchased with 40 acres of virgin land adjoining, is situated on the Stewart ( Estate, Appleby. • 1 In addition to Cabinet decision to provide half the cost of maintenance, it has also agreed to provide £ISOO per annum for the next four years as a subsidy on an equal amount to be provided by the Empire Marketing Board. The orchard is to be vested m the , Scientific and Industrial Research Department. Th’ Empire Marketing Board has offered a subsidy of £2OOO towards capital expenditure, and the £I3OO per annum for maintenance expenditure as indicated above. The Dominion fruit?-:•> revs in conference recently through their executive igreed to find £123.' towards the purchase of the orchard properly, and the Empire Marketing 80a..1 will fnd cnethird of the cost. Fruitgrowers generally are very anxious that such a research station should be established, as it is considered such an institution will do much to place this important T.dustry on a sound footing. The Hon. Mr. Atm ore, member for Nelson, has given further details in connection with the proposed establishing of the experimental orchard in the Appleby district, Nelson, for which Cabinet made a grant. It is proposed to acquire 29 acres, 20 acres of which are planted in orchard suitable to ihe needs of the research authorities, and an adjoining 43 acres of virgin land. The suitability of the land, for the purpose was confirmed by Mr. Rigg, of the Cawthron Institute, Mr. Thorpe, of the Department of Agriculture. and Mr. J. L. Brown, of the Fruit Export Control Board. They recommended the Fruit Research Committee to purchase these properties at the price at which they were offered. The Fruit Research Committee drew up a proposed programme of research and forwarded it to the Empire Marketing Board, with full details in regard to capital and maintenance expenditure under various headings. On receipt of this the Empire Marketing Board offered a grant of £2OOO towards the capital expenditure and £ISOO per annum for live years for maintenance expenditure. Cabinet has agreed to a grant of £BIO, and committed itself to an annual payment of £ISOO for the next four years. A subsidy of a similar amount to be paid by the Empire Marketing Board. The total purchase money of the land amounts to £2250, towards which the Fruitgrowers’ Executive at the recent conference agreed to donate £1250. The property is to be vested in the Scientific and Industrial Research Department. Mr. Almovo said this development will enable a very important programme which was desired by all fruitgrowers to proceed, and will make for a firm establishment of this rapidlygrowing’ export industry. Tt is w anticipated that in the near future substantial annual returns will be gained from the orchard proper, which will be used towards the expense of w.'-rking the estate. The 43 acres of implanted land will be used for root stock experiments.