FRUIT TREES AMONG PINE STUMPS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 533, 25 October 1915, Page 6

FRUIT TREES AMONG PINE STUMPS.

To the Editor of THE SUN. Sir, —I had occasion; just recently, to visit an oixhard in the Mayfield district, and was there shown something that perhaps will interest some of your readers. The' owner pointed out to me a small, old orchard that had been enclosed on three sides by a wide belt of Pinus insignus trees. Finding that the orchard was too much enclosed- s . by those trees, he cut down the belt on one side and took up a large piece 'of ground out of a small paddock adjoining; this ■ piece, of course, included the portion on wliich the belt of trees grew, the new piece outside the belt was Cultivated "and planted with a good selection of fruit trees, but on the •. portion on wliich the pine treWs had nothing could be done on " account of the stumps and roots. He therefore let it remain idle for two years. " r The trees on the new piece had by this time got a good hold, and were doing well. At the end of two years he secured some trees of good varieties of apples, pears, and plums, and pitte stmn^t Considerable difficulty was experienced on account of the roots in digging the holes for the new trees, but in a short time they .had taken to their new abode with wonderful afc- . tivity, and they are now five years old. The owner now wished me to note the very great difference between the height and quality of ; the trees among the stumps compared i with those on the new ground. The difference was wonderfully apparent. They were fuller in foliage and better fruited; they had completely outgrown those on the new ground. Another thing noticeable was the cleanliness of the bark; he had never sprayed them, but they showed a cleaner and more silky bark than those that had been regularly sprayed. ... Now, Mr Editor, it was certainly an object-lesson that I would have gone miles to see, and I have brought this under your notice through the medium of your valuable paper that someone in the Ashburton County or elsewhere may be induced to try the experiment. There are in the county many plantations completely destroyed by that memorable nor'wester some time ago. I should be glad if some able pen would take up the matter of turning waste ground containing pine stumps into good fruit-bearing orchards, and also tell us why fruit trees shouftl do so well among pine stumps.—l am, etc., G. W. WITHELL. May field.