The Frimley Orchard, the centre of the fruit industry in Haweke's Bay, is situated about two miles from Hastings. The district of Hawke's Bay is pre-eminently suited for fruit growing, and in the neighbourhood of Hastings the land is extremely rich in quality, and being also of a sandy nature, is very suitable for fruit culture. Although occasionally late frosts are to be met with in the spring, arrangemnts have been made in the Frimley Orchard by which notice is given automatically when the temperature goes below a certain point. The district is peculiarly suited for stone fruits, peaches, apricots, and plums, but all fruits seem to grow well in Hawke's Bay. The Frimley Orchard is a mile long, and there are about eight rows of peach trees, extending its whole length. Mr. J. N. Williams originally planted a large area of peach trees, and he allowed any person who was interested in orchards to purchase a certain area of the peach orchard. Planting of fruit trees is still (1907) going on to a large extent, and Mr. Williams established a canning factory in the year 1904, close to the orchard. The buildings and plant have since been considerably extended, and there may be seen at the factory at the present time thousands of tins of preserved fruits and jams. The output of the factory is not confined to fruits and jams, but in the neighbourhood tomatoes are grown by the acre, and they are canned for consumption throughout the colony. Many acres of green peas are also grown, and these are put on the market in the most palatable form. The fruit from Frimley is sent to practically all parts of the southern end of the North Island. Every morning vast quantities are sent away by train, and not only is the fruit sent from Frimley Orchard, but fruit growers in the Hastings district have formed an association for the better distribution of their fruit, and they all send away fruit by train. The fruit industry in Hawke's Bay is one of the industries which the subdivision of land forces upon the attention of those who hold small areas, and probably no other form of land cultivation will give a larger yield per acre than the cultivation of fruit.

Mr. Aaron Tomlinson, manager of the Hawke's Bay Nurseries, was born in England, in the year 1871. He came to New Zealand in the year 1892, and found employment in various nurseries for some time. Subsequently he was engaged by Mr. Thomas Horton, as nursery foreman at the Premier Nurseries, Pahiatua, and held that position until taking up the management of the Hawke's Bay Nurseries. Under the able supervision of Mr. Tomlinson these nurseries promise to be among the foremost in the colony, and a visit paid to them at any time of the year will prove both pleasant and interesting.

Brown and Ross, photo.
Mr. A. Tomlinson.