FRUIT-GROWING AT WISBECH 43 



for what they are worth show an increase of 63*9 per 

 cent, in thirty-one years, while those in respect to small 

 fruit show an increase in acreage of 117 per cent, in 

 seven years, no statistics at all trustworthy under the 

 latter head being available before 1897. 



More striking, however, than these inadequate official 

 statistics is the evidence put before the Committee as to 

 the developments going on in particular districts. 



The country around Wisbech was once devoted 

 mainly to wheat production. It has two distinct classes 

 of soil heavy and light. The former was naturally 

 regarded in those earlier days as the more valuable of 

 the two, the latter being considered almost worthless. 

 To-day the position has changed completely, for wheat- 

 growing has gone back, the light soils are utilized 

 for potato-growing, while fruit and flowers have suc- 

 ceeded to the premier position once held by wheat. 

 In 1875 there were only about 200 acres in the district 

 devoted to fruit and flowers. In 1901 the total had 

 increased to 3,768 acres. To-day it is estimated at 

 4,500 acres. On the wheat-fields of a few decades ago 

 there are now grown prolific crops of apples, goose- 

 berries, plums, pears, currants, raspberries, and straw- 

 berries, not to speak of spring flowers and a large out- 

 put of bulbs. 



The majority of the cultivators, too, come under the 

 definition of small holders. Many of them started as 

 agricultural labourers, with allotments which they 

 looked after in their leisure time, getting larger plots as 

 they saved sufficient money either to buy an acre or so 

 right out or to pay down enough to secure a larger 

 amount on mortgage. It is estimated that, exclusive 

 of garden allotments, 200 acres in the district are held 

 by occupiers of from i to 3 acres each, 1,000 by 

 occupiers holding less than 10 acres, 1,000 by occupiers 



