*5* THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



wisely refrains from fruit-growing as ,an industry. Even when the landlord provides 

 the garden or orchard properly stocked, it is questionable whether he does not even- 

 tually derive more benefit from it than does the tenant. But the advantages should 

 be mutual. Much land has doubled and trebled in value for letting in fifteen years 

 after planting it with fruit trees, and many landlords have shown a laudable desire to 

 improve the circumstances of their tenants by adding orchards to farmsteads, often 

 draining and fencing the land, finding, planting, staking, also pruning the trees for a 

 year or two till well formed and established. Several instances could be pointed to 

 where this has been done to the mutual benefit of landlord and tenant, both on large 

 and small holdings. The large holder of land has perhaps been shown the more favour, 

 though it is not such a vital question with him as it is to the small holder whether 

 fruit-growing is made to pay or not, and the latter will perhaps have more attention 

 in the future. 



Small Holdings. Up to the middle of the present century, the principal supply of 

 hardy fruits for the British markets was derived from market gardens near towns and 

 small holdings in the country. This was mainly due to the efforts of the late Mr. T. 

 A. Knight, and the Horticultural Society of London, in farthering the fruit-growing 

 industry by experiments with varieties, and diffusing valuable information. The result 

 was a full supply of fruit for a time, but the increased population demanded an enlarge- 

 ment of the towns. Buildings took the place of market gardens, and the value of 

 land was so enhanced that fresh plantations of fruit trees were practically prohibited in 

 the vicinity of towns. Manufacturing industries also made such rapid strides as to 

 render fruit-growing near them uncertain, and few fruit plantations were established to 

 meet an increased demand. This made it possible and profitable to import fruit for 

 the supply of the masses. The rural districts profited for a time by the obliteration 

 of suburban fruit gardens, but eventually became inadequate, through neglect in form- 

 ing new plantations for affording a supply of the best fruit in proportion to the 

 requirements of the population. This lack of forethought marked the decadence of 

 small holdings in many districts, and they were at length added to the adjoining 

 farms. 



But the supply of home-grown fruit to the markets was only temporarily interfered 

 with by the engulfing of small by large farms, for some enterprising persons secured 

 land favourably situated for fruit-growing, and in plots proportionate to their capital. 

 These have been the principal suppliers of fruit to the British markets in recent times. 



