into Belgium and over the eastern frontier, settlers at the Cape- 

 were up-to-date and well to the front in the varieties that were 

 being introduced. Whether this was due to the enterprise of the 

 old Dutch East Indian Company, or whether to individual effort we 

 are uncertain, but we incline to favour the former theory, as we 

 know that the Dutch East Indian Company, were fully alive to the 

 necessity of the Agricultural development of their Colonies ; in 

 fact, we have 110 hesitation in saying that probably they did 

 infinitely more for the Colony than our Agricultural Department 

 since its establishment inthis respect. We practically have this 

 position, during the last Century and also in the earlier half of 

 of the present one the best varieties of fruits were being 

 introduced as, they created for themselves a reputation in Europe,, 

 these varieties were disseminated through the country, being as a 

 matter of fact widely scattered, we would take it in the usual way 

 that prevailed in those days, when a farmer trekked further inta 

 the country he would accept from his neighbours a few trees of the 

 varieties they favoured to stock his orchard, in his new home, 

 It is indeed a most interesting study to work out and follow up 

 the Horticultural History of the Dutch and other settlers. 



We are satisfied, as we said before, that under the Dutch regime 

 the best and most popular European varieties were introduced as- 

 they forced themselves into public notice. Thus we can to-day 

 trace they were planted out in the Peninsular, also in Hottentots 

 Holland. They include, amongst others, well-known old sorts in 

 Pears. Bon Chretien, Easter Beurre, Glout Morceau, Beurre Diel r 

 Beurre Clairgeau, Winter Nelis, Be rgamotte Crassane, Louis Bonne 

 de Jersey, White Doyenne, Duchesse D'Angouleme, Doyenne 

 D'Ete, St. Germain, Yan Mons Leon ie Clerk. 



No doubt many other varieties were introduced at the same 

 time, but in the operation of natural selection, the survival of the- 

 fittest has been going on for such a long period of years that 

 undoubtedly very many have been discarded long ago. 



Let us follow up the history of the introduction of these varieties, 

 As we said before, they were all planted in the vicinity of Cape 

 Town, giving at the time a wide selection of fruit covering, many 

 months of ripening and having every quality possible, and having 

 been amply tested at home before their introduction. We would 

 however take it that although our theory is the Government intro- 

 duced them this Government did not through experts or by any 

 means take care to demonstrate and teach the grower the way of 

 bringing out the points of their varieties, or if so, the art has been 

 entirely lost, this information and knowledge being absolutely 

 necessary to ensure their maintaining the reputation which, as we 

 said, led to their introduction. Hence, although all these varieties 

 named grew and thrived well, and were originally distributed in 

 the surrounding, districts to wit S^ellenbosch, Somerset West, 

 Paarl, and indeed in all the old villages and in many of the old 

 farms established early in the century, they gradually dropped 

 out of favour, and the farmers fell back on the few varieties 



