SECTION XVII 

 Commercial Fruit Growing in Scotland 



The cultivation of tree fruit has not developed much in Scotland for 

 a long time. Nearly forty years ago there were 1874 ac. Now there are 

 2108 ac. The cultivation of small fruit, however, has been greatly ex- 

 tended in recent years. In 1897, the first year in which statistics for small 

 fruit were reliable, there were 5214 ac. in Scotland. To-day there are 

 7260 ac. The total area under fruit culture in Scotland is 9368 ac. 



Fruit Districts. Fruit is grown to a limited extent in almost every 

 county from Caithness to Wigtown, but the bulk of the fruit is grown in 

 the counties of Fife, Midlothian, Haddington, Aberdeen, Forfar, Lanark, 

 and Perth. The following figures show the movement up and down of 

 the industry in these counties since 1897: 



The Fifeshire orchards are for the most part confined to the village of 

 Newburgh. Small-fruit plantations are scattered over the county. The 

 centre of fruit culture in Forfarshire is Kirriemuir, the "Thrums" of 

 J. M. Barrie's books. The weaver village of other days has become not 

 only a thriving manufacturing town, but a veritable fruit garden. Some 

 years ago the farm of Knowehead, situated on the brae above the village, 

 was purchased and divided into small holdings. Every holding is now a 

 fruit garden. A flourishing Fruit-growers' Association disposes of the fruit. 

 The progress of the movement may be seen from the gross tonnage of fruit 



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