346 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 
that the continuing commerce with all parts of the 
world constantly exposes us to new dangers. Pests 
which have latterly broken out with fury have been 
breeding in unobserved numbers in the neglected 
plantations for many years. The ideals of the fruit- 
grower are also higher now than they were a few 
years ago. Competition has inereased, and_ the 
smallest blemish on a fruit is enough to throw it 
out of a first-class article, whilst a few years since 
it might have passed without comment. 
2. The necessity of spraying is bound to force 
new ideals upon the grower. Those persons who 
grow in a large way for the general and more or 
less staple markets will find themselves casting about 
for those varieties which are least susceptible to 
disease and insect injury and which, therefore, need 
the smallest amount of attention in the way of 
sprays. 
3. On the other hand, the protection which spray- 
ing affords will tend to bring in many of those 
good old varieties which, like the Virgalieu pear, 
have almost disappeared from cultivation because of 
disease. Those persons who are growing special kinds 
of fruit for particular or personal markets will select 
the varieties of ideal qualities almost independently 
of the liability to insect or fungous attacks, because 
they are now assured that these attacks ean be 
overcome. On the one hand, therefore, spraying will 
force the selection of varieties which do not demand 
this extra care and treatment; and, upon the other 
hand, it will afford the grower of fruits for dessert 
