1 82 FRUIT FARMING 



planting large bulks of one sort of either Plums, Apples, 

 or Pears, but so intermixed that cross fertilization is 

 provided for, so that day by day market buyers can 

 make sure of a supply of the same article. The 

 wisdom of this is seen in the fact that when a 

 retailer gets an Apple that suits his customers, and 

 they have taken a fancy to it, the supply is often gone ; 

 and he buys another sort, which has to be tried 

 before the public will take to it freely ; whereas if a 

 salesman was able to say " I shall have this sort for 

 14 days or so," the retailer could better gauge his wants 

 and suit his customers. This also applies to Plums, 

 and in fact to all fruits. As I have before stated, all 

 old and worn-out orchards must be destroyed, as their 

 produce is so inferior that it causes the price of 

 better class fruits to fall, for I feel confident, that 

 with the vast quantity of improved sorts which the 

 Nurserymen of the present time have distributed, 

 there will soon be no paying market for inferior 

 fruit. The fruit of the future again must be carefully 

 gathered, evenly sorted, well stored, and honestly 

 packed ; those growers, whose character is known on 

 the market, can always make the best prices, and 

 any sharp practices in the way of mixing sorts and 

 topping-up always recoil on the sender. 



In reference to the storage of fruit. I exhibited 

 photographs of our Allington fruit room, which has 

 enabled Apples in fine condition to be set up the 

 latter days of May. I do not pretend that such 

 erections are necessary for market fruit growers, as in 

 Kent we have ready-made rooms in the abundant 

 hop oasts and stores of the county, and many contend 

 that fruit marketed direct from the trees pays best ; 



