OLD COUNTRY FRUITS. 



537 



disabused of this impression, however, after 

 eating the Royal Scvere'g.i, which, undoubt- 

 edly, is one of the most delicious berries in 

 existence. We should like to have had 

 some Wm. Belt or Marshall for compari- 

 son. 



On looking into the matter and visiting 

 the plantations where the fruit was grown, 

 it was found, as in Canada, that the varie- 

 ties of poor or medium quality are often the 

 most productive, and to the average grower 

 the most profitable, hence one has to test 

 Royal Sovereign or some other good variety 

 to get a right idea of what can be produced. 

 The best berries are also very large, no 

 doubt principally due to the fact that the 

 plants are grown on the hill system, the 

 plants being from 22 to 24 inches apart each 

 way. From three to five crops are usually 

 taken from a plantation. The price of 

 strawberries was, on the whole, lower than 

 in Canada, varying from 2d. to 6d. per box. 



Everybody eats gooseberries out of hand 

 when the season is on, and it does not take 

 long for a Canadian to get to like this re- 

 freshing pastime. A morning visit to the 

 garden in gooseberry time is a very popular 

 kind of entertainment. It is a fine sight to 

 see these immense gooseberries grown on 

 large areas after being accustomed to a 

 plantation of Downing in Canada. Rasp- 

 berries and currants were also abundant. 



Two visits were made to the principal 

 fruit districts of Ireland, in Armagh county. 

 Apple orchards of 20 acres are not uncom- 

 mon here, and many young trees are being 

 set yearly. The fruit growers of this dis- 

 trict are confident that it will not be long 

 before Canadian or American apples will 

 not be needed in Ireland, and certainly if 

 the quality and appearance of the fruit were 

 as good as our own, and the crop as certain, 

 we should have this fear, because of the 

 large number of trees which are being set. 

 It is certain, however, that Canadian fruit, 

 cif the best quality only, will in the near 



future command a good price, as the people 

 prefer their home-grown fruit for culinary 

 purposes, owing to its greater acidity, and 

 it is naturally in better condition when 

 bought. We were told that last year when 

 apples were so plentiful in Ireland they 

 were shipped to Glasgow and the returns 

 were very fair. The Bramley Seedling is 

 the most popular variety in the north of Ire- 

 land, as it succeeds well. 



A visit was also paid to Kent, one of the 

 best fruit districts of England, where large 

 areas are devoted to both large and small 

 fruits. The impression obtained on seeing 

 the apple orchards both in England and Ire- 

 land is that the trees in general are planted 

 too close; that fine fruit is produced while 

 the trees are young and the soil kept culti- 

 vated, or while other crops, demanding 

 cultivation, can be grown between the trees ; 

 but that as soon as the trees become older 

 and it becomes unprofitable to grow other 

 crops on account of the shade from the 

 apple trees, the fruit does not get sufficient 

 sunshine and, we should think, would not 

 produce good fruit. In Canada trees of 

 the same age would be producing the most 

 profitable crops, although, unfortunately, 

 trees are often too close with us. The bad 

 efifects of too close planting could be 

 avoided by timely thinning out the trees, 

 but this, if done at all, is usually left too 

 long. 



Many trees in the old country are, how- 

 ever, grown on Paradise stock and become 

 profitable early. There are many orchards 

 which are judiciously planted or thinned 

 where the large trees have plenty of room 

 and clean cultivation is adopted, and where 

 good fruit is produced. 



The Schools of Horticulture at Swanley, 

 Kent, and at Reading were visited for the 

 purpose of seeing the character of the work 

 done and the methods employed. Both of 

 these colleges are in a very flourishing con- 

 dition. A visit was also paid to the estab- 



