10 FRUIT CULTURE. 



many years been let at 4 per acre, whilst the land 

 adjoining is still let for 1 per acre. Therefore the 20 

 outlay in planting fruit has yielded to the landlord 3 per 

 annum, which is not a bad interest on the outlay, to say 

 nothing of the largely increased capital value. I think, 

 if carefully looked at from a landlord's point of view, it 

 will be seen that it is not only the duty, but the interest 

 of landlords to give every facility that they legitimately 

 can to good tenants as regards this matter of fruit culture. 



CHAPTER II. 

 SELECTION OF SOIL AND SITUATION. 



To those about to embark in frait culture, the first step, 

 and one of great importance, is the selection of soil and 

 a suitable situation. The soil upon which fruit may be 

 profitably grown is more varied than is often supposed. 

 This is pretty clearly shown by the way that fruit trees 

 thrive in kitchen gardens and cottage gardens in almost 

 all parts of the countiy. The soil, even where originally 

 considered uncongenial, has been made suitable by good 

 and constant cultivation, and the application of manure. 



Generally speaking, the land selected, if choice be 

 open, should be naturally rich, a good strong loam, with 

 a fairly porous subsoil. Kent undoubtedly has the pre- 

 eminence as affording the best fruit-growing land in the 

 country, but many other counties possess soil and positions 

 little inferior to it in quality. The deep rich red land 

 of Herefordshire, Devon, and Somerset ; the lias and the 

 limestone of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, and the 

 lighter clays and the Hastings sands of Sussex ; the rich 



