PREFATORY NOTE. vii 



" Wouldnt a long lease prevent that ? " asked 

 Walter. 



" I object to leases^ and above all things to long 

 leases. Circumstances change rapidly nowadays^ 

 and if you are tied down by a long lease you are 

 unable to adapt yourself to them as they change. 

 You cannot take advantage of opportunities that 

 may crop up in your way.'' 



" How is it^ then^ that we have to pay so much 



for fruit f Why, you cant get an apple that is 



worth eating for less than 4d. a pound^' urged 



Walter. ^^ Surely it must pay to grow them at 



that price ? " 



" So it would. Only, 4d. a pound is not the 

 price the grower gets. Twopence a pound is a 

 very good price to him ; often he thinks himself 

 lucky if he can get as much as l\d. per IbT 



" Well, even at that rate,"' interposed my friend, 

 " you would get — how much per acre ? " 



" Let me see ! Say we get four stones off each 

 tree, and there are fifty trees to the acre, and 

 apples at Is. 6d. per stone. It works out at £15. 

 And even if you take the top price, and put it 

 at halfa-crown a stone, the price Bramleys and 

 Blenheims often sell at, you make only £25 per 

 acre."" 



" But surely that would pay ? " suggested 

 Walter. 



