76 



Government Assistance to Horticllture. [Apr., 



When the home grower has by these means demonstrated to 

 the British piibHc that he can produce fruit of the finest quahty 

 and present it in a manner to suit the most relined taste, there 

 must be set on foot a campaign of propaganda to secure that the 

 home grown fruit shall have its full and rightful place in the 

 dietary of the people. It must strike anyone who gives the 

 matter a moment's thought that this is most assuredly not the 

 case at present. Without referring to ordinary domestic uses, 

 it is sufficient for the moment to ask the question : at how many 

 dinners or banquets, even of the highest class, does one see a 

 provision for dessert of such a nature as to en(?ourage the con- 

 sumption of home grown fruit? The order of events must be 

 first the demonstration of what the home grower is accomplishing 

 and then the propaganda to extend the use. 



Grading and Packing of Fruit.— The encouragement of an 

 extended culture of fruit must have its counterpart in the propa- 

 ganda to encourage the extended use of fruit, which, if it can be 

 attained, will justify itself not only upon economic grounds, but 

 on the higher plane of health. These considerations involve the 

 form of package to be used, the lines on which fruit should be 

 graded and the methods of packing to be recognised, the standard 

 of quality, and any possible limitation of the varieties to be 

 recognised. As a beginning has to be made, it will be well in 

 the first instance to confine attention to the apple, which is the 

 most widely used of any form of fruit capable of being grown 

 at home. It is common knowledge among growers and all who 

 deal with apples that the popularity which the imported apple 

 has attained in this country is due to the use of a standardised 

 package selected because of its suitability for shipment purposes, 

 the adoption of a consistent system of grading which has been 

 imposed by Government action, to scientific methods of packing, 

 and to a high condition of soundness in quality, while the con- 

 tinuity of supply which results from concentration upon a com- 

 paratively few varieties of ascertained quahty has added to these 

 other advantages and given to the imported apple a distinct lead. 



The Ministry does not wish to impose upon the trade the use 

 of any form of package, but would rather that the trade fand, 

 by the term " trade " in this connection the Ministry under- 

 stands not only the growers, but wholesale salesmen and retail 

 distributors), should come together and arrive at an agreement 

 as to what packages should be standardised. The same system 

 will apply to the other items of grading, packing, standard of 

 qiiRlity, anri of recoo^nised sorts. TTpon each of these matters 



