CHAPTER III. 

 ON THE SELECTION OF A FARM FOR FRUIT GROWING. 



There are many points to be considered 

 in taking a farm; one will probably not 

 get everything satisfactory in any farm, 

 but it is essential to strive to get as many 

 details promising success as possible. 

 Suitable land is necessary in a convenient 

 locality and at a reasonable price, if pur- 

 chased; if rented one wants it at a fair 

 rent, with a reasonable landlord, and, if 

 possible, one who takes interest in the 

 venture. 



There are undoubtedly many advantages 

 in ownership of land for fruit farming. 

 It, however, necessitates double the 

 amount of capital, so that in most cases 

 a tenancy is preferable when all things 

 are considered. 



The land should be fertile, preferably a 

 somewhat deep soil and one that is kindly 

 to work, otherwise one has to spend an 

 undue amovmt of money " in muscle and 

 manure " in order to get good crops. 



As to situation, some growers favour 

 moderately high land, if not too much 

 wind swept, and a great point is to choos>^ 

 land as little exposed as possible to the 

 danger of injury by spring frosts. The 

 fertile fruit-growing district around 

 Wisbech, although flat and low-lying, 

 is nevertheless little liable to damage 

 by frost, apparently due to the sea air. 

 In this immunity it resembles the famous 

 apple orchards of the Annapolis and Corn- 

 wallis valley of No-\a Scotia, which is near 

 the sea, yet sheltered from it by a range 

 of hills. Local observation is therefore 

 necessary, together with the experience 

 of those who live in the district. One 

 can point out on the map the districts 

 that have proved themselves the most 

 successful fruit growing parts of Britain. 

 Some of these are favoured by soil, as the 

 Kentish rag near Maidstone, the old red 

 sandstone in Herefordshire and the lias 

 clay in Worcestershire. There are many 



districts where fruit thrives well in 

 gardens, where commercial fruit growing 

 has never been tried, which might be 

 suitable if convenient for the sale of the 

 fruit. In a new district it is necessary to 

 train men to the work and to ascertain 

 what varieties of fruit thrive best before 

 planting extensively. 



For soft fruits (strawberries, rasp- 

 berries, ripe plums and gooseberries), 

 which need to be sent away as soon as 

 gathered, the farm needs to be within, 

 say, 2 miles of a station, or say 10 or 

 15 miles of a market town. Apples and 

 nuts not needing quick despatch may be 

 grown further from a railway station. 



Another consideratioii is shelter; the 

 land should not be too much exposed to 

 strong winds, which cause many apple 

 fruits to fall if there is a gale. 



For unplanted land for fruit farming 

 one does not generally want to give .uore 

 than £50 per acre to purchase, or 30s. 

 per acre to rent. Fruit growing districts 

 usually pay slightly higher wages for 

 labour than agricultural districts, and, for 

 fruit picking, women and children are 

 usually easily got either locally or from 

 neighbouring towns, as the pay is fairly 

 good, the time of year pleasant, and the 

 work, though long, is not too arduous. 

 The amount of labour employed on a 

 fruit farm is probably ten times as great 

 as on an agricultural farm, and still far 

 more so than on a grass sheep farm of the 

 same size in the same locality, so that 

 fruit farming is a fine industry for em- 

 ploying labour, and is therefore of 

 national advantage. 



It is as well to have some ready-planted 

 fruit land on the farm (if it has been well 

 planted and managed), otherwise the wait- 

 ing period is so long, as some fruit trees, 

 even as bush, do not do the planter much 

 good till they have been six or eight years 



