OUR HORTICULTURAL PAST. 



i >ur experience is that there are two classes of farmers in 

 this country who are paying attention to fruit growing. 



First, the old-fashioned type who swears by and insists on 

 continuing to plant the well-known varieties, such as summer or 

 winter Saffron in pears. \Yemmers Hoek, Hugo or May in apples, 

 and peaches which come under the generic style of Los pit and 

 Taai pit ; in apricots, Cape early and late. This type of grower 

 is. however, we are pleased to say, rapidly dying out. 



Then again the new man, who must have everything in new 

 and latest varieties either in English or American, and who can 

 <ee no merit in anything standing in our old orchards. Now, 

 after twenty-two years' careful study of our old Cape Orchards, 

 and of pushing into public notice new varieties from England, 

 America and Australia, we consider we are able to give an opinion 

 of some value as to the respective merits of the different ideas of 

 se several classes of growers and planters. 



Twenty-two years ago we found very few young orchards 

 being planted, either East or \Yest or North. In the West such 

 planting was almost entirely confined to the planting of the old 

 varieties mentioned. In the East again at this period planting 

 was generally confined to new varieties which had been introduced 

 during late years by the several nursery firms engaged in dis- 

 tributing fruit trees. Whilst in the Transvaal and Free State 

 practically no planting was being done. 



In the West we would say that the planting was being under- 

 taken by those who had proved that small profits could be made 

 out of their orchards then standing, by consigning to local markets, 

 "by drying in the sun. by the slipshod methods then in vogue, and 

 by selling to the jam factories. 



In the East we think that the planting was mainly due (out- 

 side of many commercial citrus orchards) to the wish of the 

 individual farmer to have enough fruit to supply his household 

 needs, and. therefore, the lists of varieties ripening at different 

 times, vide the nurserymen's catalogue, appealed to the idea of 

 planters, to have a continual small supply of fruits of different 

 dates of ripening, colour and characteristics. We now wish to 

 point out to our readers that although at this date the planting 

 being undertaken was practically of no commercial value to the 

 country, we consider at the same time very good work indeed had 

 formerly been done both East and West, but particularly in the 

 towards assisting. One reason is this : we feel satisfied 

 that very many years ago, probably in the i8th century, and in 



