UNKNOWN GROWING.

Colonist, Volume XX, Issue 3723, 22 March 1883, Page 1 (Supplement)

UNKNOWN GROWING.

Although Nelson has for-' many years past borne the reputation of beings the fruit' growing district of New Zealand;'but few; if any; of its inhabitants have devoted the "'whole of their attention and energies to its culture; The large • quantity grown*' in this: district has hitherto been mostly raised with .more < or less attention, add simply- as: subsidiary to I what have been looked.upon as more.importantavocitiocs. Mr G. Wiesenhavern, howr ever, is making a specialty of'an intere&t that b'ds fair to become Of no small important, and already his efforts promise to be crowned with all the success he could w)ga Some five or six years since, this gentleman purcha ed twelve acres in a small valley within a few minutes walk of the Spring Grove railway station, and in chosing this locality he was inEnenced chiefly by the fact that he had ob3f>i ved that some fine grown apple trees had flourished in the neighborhood for,thirty years, and he, therefore, argued that the spot must be highly suitable for the growth of this fruit. The land also hnd the advantage of being within easy reach of a railway station. In preparing for .planting a considerable expendituje had to be \ made in dn lira's, tie laid rjr l»l>ieh «ns of <v swimpv naline, a din ploug'ii-s? <H nij a . >g '(ho sii'facf. A ler 1,1 c*« preparation ; Hie 1 nd was "Xn'si-d f' the wp'ilhn f^n.^ijc, 1 md wlitii it vv .3 >it i ned i cud 9 i> phnfmg a v . rv l-iroenflnibor of tippp, w1 ul^ lifH h-en eraf'ed oi hiidd.d by Mr' WW> liavern ni a 1 rure rv «»u h he i.ad p»«-i •»•"! 'br the.porP r»e, «ere pi -1 I ''• I" (> h * '""S fhe &Plc si varipMoa of truv I hi- g nfleunn no I fo'groit troub'l /ft' d oblnii <>'! eorre of l>i-> gfifra frou vnnoi'B pai's .f Kupopp and A-renpi ' It m nosy fi^- van 'mc- ih«. *• Eur. t« _' plaMtp.tion, as Mr W a tnh.ivi m I'lirtlnd hi* p'aoc, wa/phnipiJ, 'fd .It «he pie'nt lima it ro - Ui.Pbh'oV-4 0D1.ee.,.,f «»loh neWt 8001 nr-ofTi'ioui k'n-^e »• "»pp"e*. {'here an-, md ed no !e-'« fh»n 171 <"hnio,» vafhies of appl.v and nil'!' on to lh>«-, 4L-<>r»s o f peaiP, 39 I •|iinf--J'»-» "• '< •.14if 1 np v p 0t«,6 o up MirPS*» i v i i' e« 'f c'lfr/ies an J ■vi ni'r, wln'-t Ml Wi»-ei''hav<n J has1 a! o ,1 n<"i'^-or^of 2<o>r!ci 1i 3. ihP-vnr'e'im tf iip «ivo>ai HpsPHpUon* o fnnt ''a»e »>t .p v k. Jpe» <*c>ee*e'l 8> thnrMhcy ringe fr^m Mi. <-ur"e i <o fie 'airi f, hi t of t1 - nppKsw^ r • r iioriio-i wi"e -pli«p'pfl foi.HUeppug q „ .. P ,' i A.though -a- \cpv l.ir.'ft.pro^rlio'i o'l i'c ii «- n thii l'ur>-ki p'an«»tio ri» Hi pd fii'o flgi j n li'pe'nti1'1 c?1 "* . v -]}*" '^epis old, and /oti^-q irnliv th'o i .i . f ml, us yel, i- not a!«-*',qbut n 1 rcje \..,.,br' f the app'o »r-e=ar-'bear ng>well_ or ii... , z, Mni.'ih" p«r', J>plivn»,. p'»cir». n it mi. r,.anl'n"rKon>c"uu«ei'CPrl b-Tir^ t! m s,-».f.n.' Mr-WTO*, i h iTerjit-wi.l, h •«•« vp , „ i ua'h'r mnnv aio.fc tii.w 300 bu»'.tU»l a, ule» lln» Tear, althnu^h hpx1 h^i aniip-r> t. -, Veri- great incoa* J-t Ihe tnerUnT»'a b alt by aprearancf,.hnilHbe-garden is ijure

free" of the"■'a;P[Ste™WSg'goTjf while, aa Mr Wieaeuhavern is devoting bis sole Attention to the place, he will no doubt keep it free of this peiN Already the experience gained by this gentleman i§ considerable, and we may refer to one fact which at first might appear somewhat strange, and that is, that many of the English kimit of apples teem to .change their rature in this climate: for instance, some that are not deemed good keeping apples in the old country prove to be amongst the best in this respect here, but others classed as late apples come injmuoh earlier in Nelson. With so many varieties Mr Wiesenhavem will be able to seleot the best for the climate, for although, as we have said, they are all of the most choice varieties, still those which are most prolific, and which keep best in this climate are the sorts to perpetuate. Mr Wiesenhavern also appears to understand the art of packing his fruit—perhaps the most important lesson fruit growers have to learn, as eventually those cases which open out in best condition at the places whither they are cent are sure to command the highest prices. We are glad to have had an opportunity of seeing the present results of Mr Wiesenhavern's enterprise, which although they have not yet arrived at maturity we hope to see do so. The industry cannot fail, with care and attention, to prove of immense . benefit to the district, for a comparatively imall piece of land devoted to fruitgrowing in a professional manner is sufficient to give employment to a considerable number of persons, and there need be little fear that too many apples at all events can be grown, seeing that the greater portion of the world is .gradually opening to New Zealand as a market owing to the increasing facilities of communication by steam. Of the remunerative nature of the undertaking little need be «id, because it is so apparent. With a large number of tr§es a very few bushels of fruit on each will give such an enormous yield, that at prices anything like those at present ruling the revenue would be very large in ■proportion.to the cost of production. In a month or two's time 10s a bushel will not be an out of the way price for apples, and were Mr Wiesenhavern's 3000 trees old enough to . average a bushel of apples apiece,, the gross return at even half that price (5s per bushel) ■would amount to £750. surely quite sufficient to leave a handsome profit after deducting all expenses, o