BRITISH 7. FOREIGN 57 



district, and thus bring growers and buyers more freely 

 together.' Tables are added showing the railway 

 classification of fruit and vegetables, the rates for those 

 commodities from Wisbech to the leading towns on the 

 North-east Coast, and the services for fruit traffic to 

 the North on both the Great Eastern and the North- 

 Eastern Railways. 



From this most useful and essentially practical little 

 Guide I take the following, as having a direct bearing 

 on what I have already stated : 



The importance of the English-grown fruit and vegetable trade 

 is increasing as the public taste for more freshly-gathered produce 

 develops, and it is in the hope that growers may be helped to make 

 the most of their opportunities that this pamphlet is issued. 



The Fruit Committee's 1905 Report, section 72, states : 



4 It seems to be generally held that English fruit is preferred to 

 foreign for the table no doubt on account of its freshness and 

 that preservers for a similar reason, would always prefer to make 

 jam from English fruit, if only the supply was assured.' 



The concluding clause is the keynote of the matter. The 

 public want the best and the freshest, and if growers will profit by 

 our experience of the foreign fruit-growers' trade methods, they 

 may confidently hope to replace the enormous quantity of fruit 

 which the British nation now buys from abroad by home-grown 

 produce. 



Foreign fruit - growers' associations vigorously maintain the 

 standard of their products 



By good cultivation of good trees only. 



By preventing small and poor fruit from being exported, or 



lowering the standard quality. 

 By close grading of all fruit and vegetables. 

 By good packing. 



And consequently the fruit they send to this country has beaten 

 out of our great markets the mixed, ungraded, badly-selected and 

 badly-packed fruit from many British orchards, etc. 



The trade is an enormous one, as may be seen from the follow- 

 ing tables, A, B, and C, and be it noted that these tables only 

 contain fruit which can be grown to perfection in our own country. 

 Oranges, lemons, and other warm climate fruits, are not included : 



