FOR PROFIT. 145 



Expected Picking. — When does fruit begin to pay ? 

 A freshly made mixed plantation would begin to 

 produce the second year, and become remunerative by 

 the fourth or fifth year ; gradually increasing in value. 

 An orchard of standard fruit would produce little until 

 the fifth year, when it would begin to pay ; but if on 

 grass, in the meanwhile there would not be any direct 

 loss ; but we strongly advise that young orchards 

 (except Cherries), should be raised in arable land, and 

 the intermediate space cultivated, as before described 

 (always avoiding grain crops) thus paying rent until 

 the top crop is sufficiently advanced to allow the land 

 to be laid into grass. One advantage of planting on 

 grass should not be overlooked. During the apple and 

 pear season we are frequently visited by heavy gales ; 

 the fruit, which is thus torn from the boughs, falling on 

 grass is much less injured than in a plantation where 

 it gets dirty and bruised ; and in most years pays 

 well for picking up, being marketed as " Drops." 

 Prompt measures are necessary, as presuming others 

 to have suffered from a similar cause, it is those who 

 are first in the market that get the best price. While 

 on this subject let us observe that it is not advisable 

 to turn in horses and cattle when the ground is covered 

 by fallen fruit leaves. Sometimes the heavy crops of 

 Victoria and other large Plums may pay to thin and 

 send up green, but a few should be sent up first to 

 feel the market. All Apples and Pears pay well for 

 thinning in the early stages of growth, and the 

 " thinnings," if over the size of a racket ball, pay for 

 the labour incurred. 



M 



