. 



A BASIS ON WHICH FARMERS CAN DECIDE WHETHER 



TO ADD FRUIT GROWING TO THEIR OTHER 



SOURCES OF INCOME. 



We are repeatedly asked for advice in all sorts of out-of-the- 

 way places as to whether a man should plant fruit trees. 



We try here to give a lot of general information about 

 growing prospects, outlets for product and particulars of 

 varieties, which, if carefully read, should assist the individual to 

 form an opinion. Then the principle we imply is as follows ; it 

 rests of course with each intending planter to decide whether it is 

 a sound one in his case. 



It is not in our mind a question as to whether we can grow 

 good fruit, but the question to put is whether off a certain piece 

 of land one can make more money by planting fruit trees of sorts 

 than by the present style of utilizing it. In hundreds of instances 

 within our personal knowledge (and there must be thousands 

 outside of this), the answer must be in the affirmative as regards 

 planting fruit trees, as land suitable is lying idle, bringing in not 

 even a sovereign a morgen, and perhaps the household is even 

 without fruit for its own consumption, and fruit trees at 5 

 per 100 ! 



THE INITIAL DIFFICULTIES OF ESTABLISHING ORCHARDS 

 IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



The South-Western Districts of the Cape Province, covered 

 by an annual winter rainfall, is probably the easiest country in 

 the world in which to establish a young orchard ; during our 

 twenty-three years' residence we have positively seen no difficul- 

 ties to encounter worth mentioning ; we shall, therefore, let it 

 pass. But it must be remembered that throughout the greater 

 part of South Africa we have summer rains, and the ground at 

 the planting season, i.e., during spring, is often dry and hard; 

 and that should the trees be planted under such conditions with- 

 out the necessary attention, they would probably die. During 

 our trips to the East much was heard on this score, and we have 

 thought over the matter, and considered what we should do if 

 placed under the same conditions. The advice we give to our 

 Eastern friends, and also their fellows in difficulty, which is 

 offered with all due deference, would be as follows : Have your 

 land prepared during your rainy season by a thorough deep 

 ploughing and sub-soiling if possible (in fact, if one is going in 

 for orcharding in the East on the deep, rich, rolling lands so 



