NOVEMBER 



IRISH GARDENING 



165 



The Department have given a great deal of 

 thought to this subject, some results of which 

 are embodied in leaflet No. 57. They recom- 

 mend the standard barrel and standard box for 

 general use. These have now been adopted by 

 the Ulster Fruit Growers' Association, which 

 comprises most of the successful growers in the 

 north. The standard barrels were only intro- 

 duced last year, when about 8,000 of them were 

 shipped. This year one exporter has ordered 

 3,000 such barrels. They have met with 

 marked approval in Great Britain, and have 

 greatly helped to popularise Irish cooking 

 apples. 



In addition to a suitable package we need a 

 proper system of grading. This also has been 

 adopted by the Ulster Fruit Growers' Associa- 

 tion. In the Department's leaflet full particulars 

 are given of the sizes recommended for the 

 different varieties and the grades into which 

 each should be divided. 



The Department are prepared to assist 

 exporters by sending an officer acquainted with 

 the markets in Great Britain to push Irish 

 fruit. But it will be hopeless to attempt to 

 maintain a footing unless the standard packages 

 and grading agreed upon are adhered to. 



Need for Associ.\tioxs. 



It is in work of this kind that associations 

 can do so much good. The Ulster Association 

 was only started last year, but its work has 

 already been productive of great good. If such 

 societies are to succeed they must insist upon 

 all their members adhering faithfully to their 

 rules, especially those applying to packing and 

 grading. Any member who fails to conform or 

 whose consignments cannot be relied upon 

 should be severely dealt with by his fellow- 

 members. It is only by such discipline that a 

 hold can be kept of the principal markets. The 

 industry in fact is becoming too extensive to 

 be dealt with except by associations of farmers 

 prepared to safeguard the general interest, even 

 if that entails punishment of the individual. 

 Growers should realise that each year it be- 

 comes more and more difficull for the Depart- 

 ment to consider any question for improxing 

 fruit growing except through such associations. 



I have now indicated a few, though some of 

 the most important, considerations that claim 

 the attention of this Conference. There are 



many others which, doubtless, will be raised in 

 the course of the discussion. There is, for 

 example, the working of the Destructive Insects 

 and Pests Acts, under which the Department 

 have been compelled to issue an order prohibit- 

 ing the importation of gooseberry and black 

 currant bushes owing to the prevalence of 

 American gooseberry mildew and black currant 

 mite. These are not so serious in this country 

 as in Great Britain, but undoubtedly they have 

 worked great havoc and caused great loss and 

 inconvenience to growers. Nurserymen, too, 

 have unfortunately been subjected to great 

 annoyance and loss. The Department had 

 hoped to see a great increase in the quantity of 

 gooseberry bushes raised from cuttings in this 

 country to avoid the danger from imported 

 bushes. It is to be regretted that the nurserymen 

 have not been successful in doing this, and the 

 Department are now faced with the question of 

 what steps should be taken to meet the demands 

 of fruit growers. It is impossible to admit the 

 plant without some safeguards. In this 

 country the Department annually inspect all 

 large nurseries, and we know exactly where 

 sound stuff is to be got ; but when we come to 

 consider the question of disease in nurseries in 

 Great Britain the difficulties become so great 

 that it is not so easy to know how to proceed. 

 The matter, however, is one which must be re- 

 considered in the near future. 



Another point in connection with fruit grow- 

 ing which ought not to be overlooked is the 

 disposal of second class produce, of which there 

 is always bound to be a considerable quantity. 

 Jam making is a well-established industry, and 

 we must acknowledge our indebtedness to the 

 manufacturers, without whom we should find 

 it hard to secure an outlet at all for the second 

 class article. 



A great deal was done by the Department a 

 few years ago to encourage cider making and 

 fruit bottling. Irish cider at one time had a 

 good reputation, but unfortunately that has 

 declined. One of the difficulties in reviving 

 the industry is to ensure a suflScient quantity of 

 suitable apples. A few makers now manu- 

 facture an excellent cider, some of which has 

 recently gained prizes in England. There is 

 also a considerable quantity of cider made in a 

 small way in and about Tipperary. Makers 

 there have been helped by instruction and by 

 the loan of modern cider presses. Their busi- 



