FOR PROFIT. 3 



thinking the time has come when more consideration 

 should be shewn to our home growers, and the 

 taxation of the country be relieved by the imposition 

 of a customs duty on all and every kind of fruit or 

 vegetables imported from abroad, except supplies from 

 our own Colonies. It is argued that such imports 

 keep alive the public taste for fruits, and enable many 

 country retail shops to tide over those months when 

 our native fruits are not in season. This may be 

 true ; but, as growers well know, the higher prices 

 they used to realise for early or very late produce 

 are now seldom reached, and a small duty would not 

 be felt by the consumer, while such an import duty 

 must place our home growers in a more favourable 

 position. Directly Strawberries, Cherries, Black Currants 

 and Gooseberries reach our markets in quantity from 

 abroad, prices drop, and seldom rise again, and it is 

 the same with Plums and Apples. For example, 

 Rivers' early black Cherries used to fetch 7/6 per 

 peck of i2-lb. ; in 1909, with a moderate crop, they 

 only made 3/6. In Pears we may never be able to 

 compete with French and Belgian produce, as their 

 climate is more generally favourable for this fruit ; 

 but on the other hand, clean well-grown British Pears 

 always make good prices, and all walls and buildings 

 might be utilised to grow the finest varieties. Some 

 wall-grown Doyenne du Cornice Pears, made up to 

 12/0 doz. wholesale in 1909 and 1910, and other good 

 sorts in proportion. 



The culture of fruit, when carried out on a proper 

 basis, can be depended upon to pay, but there must 

 be (i) careful preparation of the soil ; (2) choice of the 

 best market sorts, and of clean well-grown trees 



