Fruit Growing in Scotland 37 



Despite the inability of the ploughman to take advantage of the experi- 

 ment, and the large capital needed to enter the trade, there was no lack of 

 prospective fruit growers. Land sold at 100 per acre. It let at 12. The 

 industry went forward by leaps and bounds. The following figures show 

 the net tonnage dispatched from Blairgowrie every year since 1903, and 

 the prices obtained therefor. They include Strawberries, but this crop has 

 become so insignificant that differentiation is unnecessary. 



Price. 



per cwt., 33,360 

 35,112 

 29,652 

 42,313 

 38,511 

 26,078 

 26,640 

 32,396 



Essendy. I must point out, however, that the Blairgowrie tonnage is 

 greatly increased by the fruit grown at Essendy. In 1902 the estate of 

 Drumellie and Essendy, extending to 450 ac., situated 3 ml. west from 

 Blairgowrie, came into the market. The Blair Estates Company, Ltd., 

 was floated, and the estate purchased. A neighbouring proprietor bought 

 200 ac. of the 450 with the object of securing the rights to Marlee Loch, 

 which bounded the property. The rest of the land, though back-lying, was 

 for the most part good agricultural land, and suitable for the production of 

 fruit. Forty acres were retained by the company. The remainder was 

 divided into small holdings ranging from 5 to 25 ac. The holdings were 

 offered privately for sale at 50 per acre. The price was payable by ten 

 equal yearly instalments, 4 per cent being charged on the unpaid capital. 

 This meant that the purchaser paid, roughly, about 6 per acre per year 

 for ten years. At the end of that time the land belonged to the purchaser 

 absolutely. These were considered at the time good terms in a district 

 where a considerable acreage of fruit land was rented as high as 12 per 

 acre. Before the expiry of a year all the available land was disposed of, 

 although it was some years before it was all under Raspberries. 



The scheme was interesting from an agricultural point of view. It was 

 perhaps even more so from a distinctly social point of view. Hitherto 

 the tramp class had been requisitioned in large numbers for securing the 

 fruit harvest. In many respects they were undesirable, and there was 

 strong feeling in the district against them. The Essendy fruit growers 

 decided to pick their fruit by workers to whom no objection could be 

 taken. They erected substantial accommodation, on a co-operative basis, 

 with the financial assistance of the Blair Estates Company Each grower 

 agreed to pay a share of the expenses in proportion to the number of 

 pickers he employed. The accommodation consists of twenty-four houses 

 capable of accommodating about 1000 pickers, and three large dining-halls 



