CHAPTER V 
BOTTLING VARIOUS FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 
BesipeEs soft fruits and stone fruits, there are other 
varieties which do not lend themselves readily for 
classification, ¢.g.,apples, pears, tomatoes, strawberries, etc. 
The bottling of vegetables has hardly been touched 
upon in England yet, but we feel sure that there is a 
great future for this branch. Let us quote again from 
The Transition of Agriculture. This time Mr Pratt 1s 
advocating the bottling of asparagus. 
‘<The further question is being seriously discussed at 
Evesham whether the ordinary markets of the country, 
as an outlet for fresh fruit and vegetables, could not be 
supplemented by the organisation of a substantial canning 
business which would not only utilise any possible surplus, 
but also substitute an important British industry for a 
large proportion of those canned fruits and vegetables 
now coming into the United Kingdom in such large 
quantities from other countries. It is especially pointed 
out that since the imposition of a duty on tinned fruit, 
equal to about 2s. per dozen 3-lb. tins, English 
fruit growers have been placed in a much better position 
in regard to the utilisation of their surplus produce, so 
much so that two years ago one firm in this country 
turned out in the course of the season no fewer than 
1,000,000 cans of fruit. Other firms have since taken up 
the enterprise, which the Evesham growers expect will 
develop before long into a business of considerable 
importance, with wide possibilities of an export as well 
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