Ku-ring-gai Clippings
Being a collection of 19th and 20th century newspaper articles with a connection to the Municipality of Ku-ring-gai.
Editor: R. N. Whitaker
email: whitsend1@optushome.com.au
Volume 17:
ST. IVES FRUITGROWERS' UNION.
Sydney – The Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday 19th August 1897.
Under the auspices of the above union a large number of residents interested in fruit and poultry were addressed by Messrs. Stevenson and Bradshaw, of the Agriculture Department, on Tuesday last, in the St. Ives Public School. The addresses were received with marked attention and many questions were asked, especially as to poultry. At the close over 20 growers arranged to visit the Hawkesbury Agricultural College on Wednesday, 2nd September. Mr Gilder, of Pymble, occupied the chair in the absence of tho president, Mr. Richardson, through ill-health.
ON THE LAND. FARM AND STATION.
AT THE GATES OF THE CITY. CITRUS ORCHARDS AT ST. IVES.
Sydney – The Sydney Morning Herald, Wednesday 9th August 1911.
To look over an orchard at all effectively takes time, so on a day's trip to St. Ives last week the writer was only able to visit two local orchards, although a glimpse of others was obtained. It should not be assumed, therefore, that the two are picked places and of higher standing than all others. It simply happened that opportunity offered to see them, and time would not permit inspecting more. This is mentioned because there are something between 80 and 100 citrus orchards in this little district, and It Is obvious that It would take considerable time to obtain full acquaintance with them.
Unquestionably the locality is first-class country for citrus fruit, and growers appear to generally do well. Those in a position to speak authoritatively state that there is a general prosperity amongst them. On the whole, the orchards are well looked after, and progressive methods adopted. Manuring is the rule, and more attention is now being given to drainage. Tho areas are small, and one man has reared a family on 31/2 acres. He started with a mortgage of £150, but despite his small area, was able recently to purchase another block of land. Of course, this is not to be taken as a criterion, although It is an example of what Is possible, given the man. Incidentally, it is Interesting to note that this grower goes in for very heavy manuring, using great quantities of bone-dust.
Tho St. Ives district really appears to score mainly with its late crops. Accessibility to Sydney, and thus being able to keep In touch with tho market, Is also a great advantage enjoyed. It is only eight miles to Sydney. On account of its high elevation tho locality is free from frosts. Tho soil varies very considerably, and in some places is very poor. In other parts again it is more loamy and rich, with quite a different bottom. All of It seems to grow citrus fruit well. It is iron bark, black butt, oak, and gum country. Growers now appear to favour the Valencias date In preference to other varieties, and all the new young trees noticed are this sort. The trees do not grow to the size of some of the older sorts, but the fruit hangs well, and can thus be held for a good market. The fruit, indeed, hangs till it turns green again. It is a firm, nice-skinned orange, and so far is proving very profitable. What the outcome will be if every grower sticks to this variety is hard to say. Washington Navels are not suitable for the St. Ives district.
There are hundreds of acres of unimproved, unoccupied land in the district, but the price is probably too high to attract fresh growers. Most of those established, we are informed, obtained their land at about £30 per acre, and that seems to be considered quite high enough if a fair return is to be looked for. Today the land would probably be nearer double that price-that is, if any is available.
Where there is this fairly progressive body of growers settled within a comparatively small radius, there is, strange to say, apparently no co-operation amongst them in any way. There is no association, union, or progress committee, as far as we could learn; nor any sort of body that could attend to mutual interests, and play a very important part In tho affairs of the district.
Yet all are pursuing the same occupation, their interests are the same, they are accessible, and such an organisation should be easily formed. Both from a commercial and social standpoint there are obvious advantages in growers working together under such conditions. By co-operation for business purposes, supplies or
Indeed, it is possible to conceive such a compact body of growers organising to an extent that would make a tremendous difference to their returns. By joining on a business, responsible basis, grading their fruit thoroughly to fixed standards, and selling under one brand, through their own representative in the city for preference, better returns would be a certainty. For that matter, they could go further, and establish retail shops, and thus bring their produce direct to tho public, and secure highest prices. Such development would, of course, have to be gradual, a firm unity being first established.
An organisation should be the means of bringing the growers and their wives together socially, promoting friendlier relations, and providing that element of recreation and on enjoyment which Is always desirable to any hard-working community. The possibilities in that direction depend mainly, of course, upon the people themselves, their desires, and their natures. But there can be no question of the desirability of growers meeting regularly, and discussing matters of common interest. Some medium is required for that, and once established realisation of the benefits of thorough co-operation would soon become manifest in a live community.
Although an old orange-grower, Mr. W. E. Cates's orchard, Hillcrest, is a comparatively young one, of 1500 trees. It is now being laid out with underground agricultural drains, the owner being a firm believer in drainage, which he was the first to adopt in the district at another orchard, since sold. There he proved tho value of effective drainage. The drains are being laid between every second row of trees, each tree thus having a drain to nourish it. The drains are about three feet deep, and laid with three-Inch pipes. There is some poor soil in this orchard, and it undoubtedly will be largely improved by a thorough aeration in this manner, while the subsoil and also the presence in parts of a strip of pipeclay necessitate drainage if good results are to be obtained.
In setting out young trees Mr. Cates has suffered, like the majority of growers, from the difficulty in obtaining varieties true to name. At the present time there are several lots of trees which have had to be grafted after a couple of years, when it was found they were quiet a different variety to that ordered. This is a very serious matter to any grower, and it is time the Legislature seriously considered the necessity for making nurserymen responsible in this regard. A grower should certainly be able to depend upon obtaining what he has ordered and paid for, as in any other business, and this, Judging from experience, does not appear to be the case at present.
Tho soil at Hillcrest is kept in good heart and well worked. Much of It has been sub-soiled to a depth of 15 Inches. Mr. Cates does not seem to go in for green crops, but states that a winter weed, which grows heavily in tho locality, is very suitable for ploughing in, and providing tho humus wanted in the soil, while largo quantities of sheep manure are used for the same purpose. Speaking from his experience Mr. Cates says that the best years at St. Ives are the bad years, when fruit is scarce elsewhere. While the yield is not as heavy as in this season, for-instance, the high prices more than compensate. There is more wax scale In this orchard than would be expected, considering the generally progressive methods of the owner, but Mr. Cates does not appear to have attached great importance in the past to this trouble. This year, however, he has tackled it with the soda and soap mixture, and found it fairly effective.
It seems to us that there can be no question as to the necessity for fighting this pest regularly. The condition of some orchards in Cumberland shows to what a deplorable state it can reduce them. Even if the trees are not ultimately killed, it stands to reason that the presence of such a parasite, especially when it gets really bad, must have a most detrimental effect upon tile health of the tree and the quality of the fruit. The business of a fruit tree is to bear fruit, and it cannot do that successfully if there are other calls upon its energy to any extent.
The most noticeable feature about Mr. William Russell's orchard, Oakbank, is the wind-break of magnificent pines which is growing alongside, the road, and must have been admired by hundreds of passers-by. This property was sold less than two years ago by Mr. Cates, and is the one referred to that has been laid down with underground drains. It is a very fine orchard, and Mr. Russell should be well pleased with his purchase as he has been pulling fruit nearly all the time of his occupation. At present the orchard is a picture, the trees carrying fine crops. One lot of seven-year-old trees should average three bushels easily. A block set out with Valencias, five or six years old, looks very well, and should give a big return. Mr. Russell is a firm believer in this variety, and is setting out young replants of this sort between the older trees to take the latter’s place. While the variety does not give the same yields as some of the older sorts, there are no windfalls, and the fruit hangs till it is wanted to catch a good market, as stated above.
Judging from the look of the block referred to it should return £50 per acre, a, price which enables the paying of good wages and keeping the orchard in thorough order.
This orchard is well kept. Tho owner adopts heavy manuring with bone and blood and potash, and also chips in large quantities of
There are other well-kept, well-handled, and well-fed orchards at St. Ives. Asked for an opinion on this locality, Mr. A. T. Hunter, Government fruit Inspector, who has a close knowledge of the orchards of Cumberland and adjoining fruit districts, said:- "I don't know of anything better as far as citrus fruit is concerned, nor any district where growers seem to enjoy better prosperity. It is a clean district, and the growers, taken right through, are progressive. Although some are backward, there are not many."
Which is a fine kind of asset to have at the city gates, and a substantial proof of the possibilities of the county of Cumberland.
MR. COOK AT KILLARA.
SPLENDID RECEPTION.
Sydney – The Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday 17th July 1914.
When the Prime Minister, Mr. Joseph Cook, Senator Sir Albert Gould, and Mr. Trethowan came on to the platform at the Killara Hall last night they were enthusiastically greeted by the large audience. Mr. J. G. Edwards presided.
Mr. Cook said that they had heard so much and so often that his Government had done nothing during its brief term of office because it had not reeled off statutes like sausages from a machine. They had tried to get some statutes through last session - some of them important- but they came back from the Senate worthless. This was the treatment meted out to them by the Senate. The Liberal Government stood for the liberties of the people that had come down to them at such great cost. These liberties were worth fighting for, and they were in danger of slipping away. They asked the people to turn out again and strike a blow for the freedom that they had today.
Editors note: Sir Joseph Cook was Prime Minister for only a short period – 24th June 1913 to 17th September 1914. The obstruction of the senate referred to resulted in the first-ever double dissolution in the Federal Parliament and precipitated the general election of September 1914. Cook was voted out of office and the new Prime Minister was the Labour party’s Andrew Fisher. This Killara meeting would have been part of the run-up to the September elections. For further information:
"The wants of the working people had been put before us," sold Mr. Cook. "I say that the working man is entitled to a 'look in,' to justice, when the point of justice has been ascertained. But when that is all said and done, then the country should have a 'look-in.' Are we occupying this country as we should, and are its relations with the other countries of the world on a satisfactory basis? There are other things that national Parliament exists for than wages boards, and it is time we saw this."
Referring to defence matters, the Prime Minister said that there was a saying in the country-"The fatter the lamb, the stouter the fence should be." In Australia they had a very fat lamb. Was the fence as strong as it should be? They wanted to better the defence in the north. The Liberal Government was standing for a big inland territorial policy. If they could get the means, they would carry this into effect. Mr. Fisher had said his Government was going to run a line of steam-ships, give widows and orphans all sorts of assistance, and do away with the break of railway gauge. This last named work alone would cost some £11,000,000 or £12,000,000. Where was that to come from except out of the taxpayers' pockets? The issue before the people was whether or not they were going to take a fresh dose of taxation.
Senator Sir Albert Gould, referring to the double dissolution said that it was contemptible to bring the Governor-General into the controversy at all. It had been pointed out in a minute from home that the Governor General had only to follow the advice of those who were there to advise him. His duty was to see that the terms of the Constitution were carried out, and to take steps when he found that the Parliament of the country was unable to carry out its proper functions.
Mr. Trethowan related several experiences of his campaign In the course of an interesting address.
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