274 



The Orchards of Middlesex. 



[June, 



Growers. — Middlesex has many first-class and up-to-date fruit 

 growers, who have done much to improve the industry, and 

 whose well-ordered plantations demonstrate the successful re- 

 sults of good husbandry. Unfortunately there are others whose 

 cultural methods leave much to be desired, while a few have 

 no methods at all, and rarely touch their orchards, except to 

 gather the indifferent crop which the trees produce unaided. 



It is only fair to add that many of these latter have mixed 

 farms, fruit-growing being only one of their interests, and 

 they cannot be expert in all branches. Further, the poor con- 

 dition of many orchards is but a legacy of the late war; owing 

 to the withdrawal of the necessary labour during the war period, 

 many growers experienced great difficulties and were quite un- 

 able to keep their orchards clean. 



In some cases, however, carelessness and lack of interest are 

 evident, orchards being overcrowded and choked, and allowed 

 to run entirely their own way. These growers have not observed 

 the old saw, " a stitch in time saves nine." A clean orchard 

 can be kept clean at a minimum of expense, but an accumulation 

 of overgrowth and diseased wood so soon gets out of control that 

 the orchard requires considerable capital outlay to get it into a 

 productive condition again. 



It is satisfactory to note, however, that during the past winter 

 orchards have been thinned out and cleaned, and marked im- 

 provements are noticeable in many districts. Nevertheless, a 

 great deal remains to be done in this direction, while spraying, 

 grease-banding and other desirable operations are still the excep- 

 tion rather than the rule. 



The fault appears to lie partly in the fact that some of the 

 growers have " drifted " into the industry, without particular- 

 enthusiasm for it, with the result that technical knowledge has 

 not developed. The real trouble, however, is undoubtedly the 

 shortage of skilled labour. Fruit-growing, like any other trade 

 or profession, cannot be successful without at least a leavening 

 of highly skilled labour. Yet there are Middlesex fruit farms of 

 a hundred acres where both owner and employees have not even 

 an elementary knowledge of fruit growing. 



It is fairly safe to say that one expert fruit grower to every 

 fruit farm could double the output of high grade fruit. By ex- 

 pert is meant a man thoroughly and scientifically trained in all 

 branches of fruit culture, who understands the principles of 

 hygiene, and the management of an orchard from start to finish, 

 including the grading, packing and marketing of the produce. 



