THE COLONIST PUBLISHED TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS, AND SATURDAYS. NELSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 1875.

Colonist, Volume XVII, Issue 1898, 8 April 1875, Page 3

THE COLONIST

PUBLISHED TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS, AND SATURDAYS.

NELSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 1875.

Oub Auckland contemporary, the Southern Cross, comes down rather unmercifully upon the Colonist because, a short time ago, we were bold enough to say that Nelson was the best fruit-growing Province in the Colony. The Cross indignantly denies the truth of our assertion, and says, of course, that Auckland is far before Nelson in the matter of fruit growing. This is what the boss haß to say on the subject: — " The excellence of che Auckland fruit was partly iited yesterday in Mr R. Arthur's auction mart. A jQ&ntity of picked Nelson fruit was sent up to AuckW for sale, and by the merest chance consignments of fruit from Wangarei and Mahurangi, both of which places are in the province of Auckland, cams to hand to be sold by the same auctioneer. The fruit consisted of apples, pears, damsons, quinces, if. The Nelson picked apples—for they would tsver Bend an inferior article to a distant market for nle—brought from 3£d to 3£d per lb., while those from Wangarei fetched 3^d to id, and those from Mahurangi from 4Jd to 4£d per lb., or one penny per lb. more than the Nelson-grown apples. The Wangarei pears brought from 3£d to 3£d per lb.; llose fronx Mahuraiigi 5d per lb; and those from kelson from 2id to 3d per lb. The above prices teU tery plainly whiob district grows the best fruit. If onr country seltlers would only properly bestir themiilyes ii the matter of fruit-growing, they need fear Jo competition from the districts in the colder South'; •nd if more attention'were devoted to fruit-growiDg, (tare is little doubt they would find in the long run j' would yield them larger returns for the same expenditure of capital and labour than most field crops. On this they may rest assured, that with careful and 'kilful cultivation, fruit trees' in the sunny North "ould Boon produce fruit in such abundance and of inch a quality, that the Southern-grown article fauld soon be' driven out of every market in New Hand.1? «•■ ■ •■<■■'. •• do not for one moment doubt the accutocy of the 4gure? given ,by the dross, but ftat jpurnal has overlooked one little matter *})ich is of some importance—viz., that the Nelson fruit must have been considerably »&oc]sed about before it reached the action room, Moreover, it may not have been properly packed or stowed; and, again, it ) robably remained in the cases in Nelspn «* some days before it was shipped. Our must be aware that there is a great difference between fruit brought 'torn 'Wangarei and Mahurangi and foat brought from Nelson, If a steamer 6Dcountered heavy weather between here jnd Auckland, any fruit that might be on toward must necessarily get damaged, As for as we can judge from personal observa- | lon, fruit is generally stowed on deck, and 18 dear that if rough weather be experi- ? nced, aB is often the case, the fruit on reachlH Auckland must be lessened considerably lvalue. As regards the concluding een-

tence in the paragraph quoted from the Cross, we can only say that it is unkind, and quite uncalled for. Why should the Gross want to. drive us out of the market ? Doubtless it would vastly please the Cross to be able to use the phrase " New Zealand fruit" as synonymous with that of " Auckland fruit," but before Auckland can enjoy such a fruit-growing monopoly she will have to uproot the large old orchards of Nelson—which are annually increasing in extent —and be able to say of our orchardmen, " their right hand hath lost its cunning and their left hand its skill." The timers far distant when Auckland, sunny as it is, will be strong enough to close the fruitmarket gate in the faces of the Nelson producers. To show that the people of Nelson believe in the good qualities of their own land, we may state that one gentleman in town has two thousand trees in his o

all of the very best description, and all named, and that it is his intention to plant another thousand during the coming winter.