THE CULTURE OF THE APPLE 



INTRODUCTORY 



WITHIN the past few years the importance of fruit 

 as an article of food has been widely recognised, 

 with the result that many more acres of land are now 

 devoted to fruit culture than was formerly the case. It 

 is safe to assert that no other fruit tree has been planted 

 in such increased quantities as has the apple ; and this is 

 not to be wondered at, for the apple is the fruit of Great 

 Britain, par excellence. It has been proved conclusively 

 that better apples can be grown in Britain, and that 

 they can be placed on the market in better condition, 

 more particularly as regards their flavour, than can 

 those from abroad, although it is to be feared that 

 to some extent from lack of knowledge, and also 

 perhaps of method, good quality British grown apples 

 are not so conspicuous upon the market as might be the 

 case. The fact cannot be gainsaid that the climate of 

 Britain is exceptionally well suited to the culture of the 

 apple ; there are certain districts better suited to its suc- 

 cessful growth than others, but this is very often owing 

 almost as much to the nature of the soil as to other 

 influences. There are but few places in Britain where 

 the apple will not thrive satisfactorily, and in the face of 

 such a statement the importance of apple culture in this 

 country cannot be over-estimated. So far as regards the 

 perfect colouring of some of the more highly coloured 

 varieties, there is apparently but little doubt that the 

 Kent growers are able to hold the field; although, at 

 some of the most recent exhibitions of fruit, the produce 

 staged by growers in Wales, the Western Counties of 



