Jiay ■}, ISOT 



HORTICULTURE. 



587 



British Fruit Growers' Foes 



It is geaerally recognized that the fruit-growing 

 industxy in Britain does not receive the same amount 

 of fostering aid as is the ease in most of the Colonies, 

 'lake Canada, for instance. The Dominion growers, who 

 liave just iinislied another successful export season, have 

 greater advantages from their C4overnment in the pur- 

 suit of their business than is the ease in Britain. Gov- 

 ernment inspectors visit the principal orchard districts 

 to give demonstrations in pruning, spraying, and other 

 necessary operations conducive to good culture. The 

 Government has also established a standard for secur- 

 ing uniform grading and efficient packing. Inspectors 

 are appointed to see to the carrying out of the provis- 

 ions of the Fruit Marks Act, which requires the apples 

 to be packed in barrels to correspond with the marks 

 outside. As a rule, buyers on this side can rely upon 

 the grade marks correctly representing the actual qual- 

 ity of the fruit- The Dominion authorities also enforce 

 regulations for the suppression of orchard pests and 

 diseases. 



For some years there has been an agitation in Britain 

 to secure a gi-eater protection to the orchards against 

 the spread of infection. At the present time the 

 orchardist who keeps his holding clean and healthy too 

 often has his labors nullified by a careless neighbor, 

 whose neglect may ruin the crops of a whole district. 

 The need of some change in our present haphazard 

 methods has been emphasized by the investigations of 

 Professor Salmon, of Wye College, as to the American 

 gooseberi'y mildew. In various European countries, 

 notably in Sweden, it has been found necessary to take 

 steps to prevent the importation of infected stock. 

 Several of the British fruit-growing associations have 

 passed resolutions in favor of a similar precaution 

 being taken in this country. 



A bill dealing with this question of disease preven- 

 tion was introducf^d three years ago by Sir James Ran- 

 kin, one of the Herefordshire members. This provided 

 for the compulsory inspection of infected areas, the 

 destruction of infected fruit and trees and bushes, with 

 pompensaiion for the owner-;. It also proposed the 

 establishment nf a sp'-ri-il liranch uf the Board of Agri- 

 culture to deal with (piestious affecting the fiiiit-grow- 

 ers. The mea.nire was eventually withdrawn, pending 

 the deliberations of the Departmental Committee ap- 

 pointed by Lord Onslow to inquire into the position of 

 the British frait growing industry. After holding a 

 hirge number of sittings, examining witnesses on all 

 phases of fi-uit oTo\v;ng and distrilmtion, several pages 

 of recommendations were made by this committee in the 

 i'e]>ort wliieh was issued about two years ago. None of 

 these proposals were i)ut into practical shape. 



There is now a possiliilitv of growers receiving an 

 instalment of the vefonrs for wliieh they have been agi- 

 tating through their organization? for some years. Lord 

 Carrin.gton has l^rought forvard a bill which gives the 

 Board "of Agriculture power to act in case of need in 

 the suppression of fruit pests in the same manner 

 which proved so rffectivo in dealing with the Colorado 

 l,eetle some vears ago. This is a step in the direction 

 advocated bv manv leading fruit experts, and it will 

 dnulitb'ss \oAi] to 'the adoption of further preventive 

 measures. C rowers argue that there is a precedent for 



the adoption of some protective measures to secure 

 iiealthy orchards, seeing that the Government enforces 

 .-tringent regulations to prevent disease spreading 

 amongst the flocks an. I herds on the farms. Compen- 

 sation is paid to the farmer who for protective pur- 

 poses is required to shuigliter his sheep or cows, and it 

 i? argued that the same svstcm .shouhl obtain with re- 

 gard to the disease infected trees and bushes wiiich have 

 to be sacrificed to secure healthy orchards. An object 

 lesson of the success attending the Government encour- 

 agement of fruit-growing is atforded at Covent Garden 

 market at the present time. Numerous cases of clean 

 skinned, bright colored apples are being imported from 

 the Antiporlcs; the total imports it is estimated will 

 reach half a million case*. Everything possible is done 

 in the Australian dominion to ensure the placing of the 

 fruit on the market under the best conditions. It is 

 satisfactory to find that at last something is being done 

 to assist oV home-grower to attain a greater efficiency 

 in catering for the" increasing demands for high-class 

 fruit. 



>t>V. Ckdi^. 



Spring Care of Small Lawns^ Etc* 



Of late years great interest has been taken in the 

 movement to give school children a rudimentary edu- 

 cation in horticulture, but the most sanguine supporter 

 of the mea.sure cannot expect immediate results, but 

 that great success will be achieved goes without saying. 

 It is certainly a great move in the right direction, and 

 deserves all the help anyone either con)iccted with hor- 

 ticulture or otherwise can give. 



The residential districts of great cities furnish, each 

 spring, abundant proof of the necessity of instilling 

 some practical knowledge into the minds of the major- 

 itv of owners, and I am sorry to say not a few of the 

 so called "landscai)cr-\" 



All at Dayton last .\ugust could see for themselves 

 what grand Vesult? all over the city had followed the 

 action of the great manufacturing institution of Dav- 

 ton in instilling into their army of workp>eople a love 

 of the beautiful and. not content with this, following 

 it up with illustrated lectures, and practical informa- 

 tion. The achievements at Dayton have been frequent- 

 ly lauded in the horticultural press and we have won- 

 dered why steps have not been taken ere this by our 

 horticulttiral societies to bring about corresponding 

 results in their own neighborKoods. 



The pruning bv entlnisiastic but otherwise unfit oper- 

 ators frequently' presents the most glaring eyesores. 

 How often do we see fine young fruit trees mutilated by 

 persons who do not know the rlifforence between a wood 

 and a fmit bud and, when it comes to shrubbery, the 

 damage is such as to take more than one season to 

 rejaair. We venture the remark that a great deal of 

 misinformation on this and kindred subjects has been 

 fx-attercd broad-cast by so-called agricultural papers, 

 etc. We do not wish to be misunderstood in this state- 

 ment but feel sure the majority of the readers of these 

 notes will umlerstand the class of literature alluded to. 



