2 THE BOOK OF FRUIT BOTTLING 
by no means obtained perfection in our methods with | 
the rarer and more difficult kinds of fruits. 
We have said that it is a necessity that more systematic 
methods should prevail, and to justify our statement, 
we answer without fear of contradiction, that any develop- 
ment of the fruit-growing industry is a step in the right 
direction, because—we are a fruit-loving and fruit- and 
vegetable-eating nation! 
The foreigner knows this, and sends all sorts of dainty 
and delicious fruits and vegetables to England, on which 
he must often make 60 to Ioo per cent profit. Bottled 
and canned fruit forms a staple article of trade in all 
stores, large or small; but a large percentage of these 
were never grown or bottled in England. Why not? 
Because we have not learned to do them well enough, 
or cheaply enough, or in sufficiently large quantities: so 
we support the foreigner as usual! 1 
In that admirable book of Mr Edwin Pratt’s, ‘‘ The 
Transition of Agriculture,” he gives the following statistics 
of quantities and values of Colonial fruit and vegetables 
imported in 1900-4 :— 
1At a well-known shop in London we were invited to inspect 
various preserves from the ‘* Genesio Jam Kitchen,” United States. 
We were told that the proprietor was making a huge fortune by her 
preserves. ‘They certainly looked most inviting, displayed, as they 
were, in very attractive bottles; but an English fruit bottler would 
have staggered at the idea of pricing his goods at the high value which 
this American lady put on hers. 
Here are some of the prices, for example :— 
Fresh white cherries, peaches, raspberries per quart 3 o 
Preserved strawberries and apricots . : 5» pint 3 © 
Peaches in brandy . : : 5, quart 7 6 
(to eat with Virginia hams) 
Peach chutney . : : : ; 59 sPints 22. 6 
Fruit conserve . : ; . per10o0z. globe2 6 
Now what is to prevent an English woman making a speciality of 
fruit preserving on such lines as these, and making a fortune also? 
