THE ARAMOHO NURSERY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 11278, 27 May 1891, Page 3

THE ARAMOHO NURSERY.

A member of our staff paid a visit on Saturday last to Mr Benefield's nursery at Aramoho, and was shown over the grounds by him. Mr Benefield has about twenty acres of land, of which ten are ■ under cultivation, and three nine are to be brought under cultivation shortly, " ■ having just had a crop of potatoes taken off them with a view to their preparation " for that purpose. Mr Benefield has a very -complete collection of treeu, both, ornamental'and useful and as they are all from stock trees grown on the place pur- • • chasers may rely on it that anything supplied from these nurseries will grow up true to name. Among the fruit trees we noticed apples too numerous to mention ; we were informed .that all these trees are doubled worked; on majentin and northern spy stocks j and although they cannot be guaranteed to keep nlfian on- their branches, the stock itself is thoroughly blight proof. Mr Benefield has apple trees of every sort for sale, from three years old and under ; but had such a larsre sale for them last year that ho has none of a greater ago left.,- Among, the jmost noticeable varieties of pears were William's Bon Chretien; Overdales's St. Germain, the largest pear known; Souvenir de Congress, an "American variety; and Olivier de Serres, the best late variety grown. In plums, besides all the ordinary kinds, Mr Benefield has made' a speciality of the Japanese plums, wbich he considers likely . to be largely grown in this district in the future ; among these may be mentioned the satzuma or blood plum of Japan ; the Large Red and Large Yellow, and Kelsey's Simoni of quinces.- Perhaps the ' most noteworthy js the- new Keas mammoth cherries — theße are all graftod on the mahaleb stock, which is less liable to Buffer from the ravages of the leech- than other kinds. Mr Benefield expressed the opinion that this destructive pest might without much difficulty be kept under by syringing the tiees, if only all growers would take the trouble to do so ; but unfortunately Jtoo many orchardists allow their trees to become nurseries of _ this and similar riuisancesiand as there is no Impounding Act for stock of this nature the measures.taken by their more careneighborirs are t<j a large extent neutralized. A large collection of young peach trees appear to be in a healthy condition, and Mr Benefleld thinks there is reason to hope thatthe mysterious disease from which peach trees throughout the colony have of late-y ears suffered may be dying out. Besides these, apricots, mulberries, (both the common black kind, and the white ' variety on the leaves of which silkworms are fed) loquats, olives, and pomegranates, are represented at the Aramoho nurseries, as also walnut and other nut trees. Among the ornamental and shelter trees, and sbrubs, we may mention the arbutus, or strawberry tree, which, with-lts white 'wax-like flowers, acd brilliant red fruit, has a very-beautiful ■ appearance. The fruit bears considerable likeness to a strawberry, and makes excellent jam. An American novelty is the abronia jjurpwa; which makes a very ' pretty hedge plant, being covered in the bpring with purple -flowers. Another noticeable tree is the cerris silitfuastrwm, or Judas tree — so-called front a tradition that it was on a tree of this species that Isiariot hanged himself— a deciduous tree, the rosy purple flowers of which, coming out in tho spring before the leaves, produce a very striking effect. Oaks, laurels, pines of all sorts, horse chestnuts, plane trees, (of which Mr Benefield has supplied a large number to various borough councils for street planting) hollies, both plain and variegated, are also kept in stock here. Among lowers wo may mention first the roseß, of which there is a very complete collection, including a curious' Japanese variety, the ruga rogosa, imported direct. Of Chrysanthemums Mr Benefield has all the .best 'kinds, and is importing new ones for next season. A unique specimen is the Mrs Alpheus Hardy ; Mr Benefield is looking anxiously forward 'to its flowering, and. when it does so, intends to send it into town for exhibition. The gigantic lily, of Australia, remarkable for the size of its flower stalk, is also to the fore here. It ii>,_of course, utterly impossible, in the space, at -our disposal, to give a -complete' ''enumeration of the different plants, andtrees to be found at the Arambho' nurseries ; we have only been able to call attention to a few -of them which from their beauty or raxitj, or any other circumstance,, are specially worthy of note;. for the rsst, suffice it to say that Mr Benefield has all* the old favourites, and' a very large collection of novelties. We must not omit to mention the wine and cider made by him in a preßs of his own construction, thereby utilising tho fruit . which from any imperfection is not marketable, and- which formerly had to be thrown to the pigs. Mr Benefield not only does a large business locally, but also sends plants to Auckl and, Wellington, Napier, and elsewhere. It is cheesing, now that we hear so much .about depression, and the unetnpleyed, and the depopulation of the colony, to see a really useful and productive industry in. such a flourishing condition. There can be little doubt that in the near future fruit-growing will come to the front in New Zealand, and if the man who makes two blades of grass grow where one grow before is a public benefactor, then certainly a successful nursery gardener deserves to rank high ' "in the list of those who have earned the gratitude of their fellow citizens. '