68 



JOURNAL OF TEE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



RENOVATION OF OLD AND FORMATION OF NEW 

 ORCHARDS IN THE WEST MIDLANDS. 



By Mr. W. Coleman, F.R.H.S., Eastnor Castle Gardens. 



Five years having passed since the R.H.S. inaugurated the 

 first comprehensive Apple Conference, the present Council has 

 wisely decided upon testing the result of that important step by 

 again calling together the friends of Pomona. A small minority 

 in 1883 thought the exhibition of thousands of plates of apples 

 would not benefit the growers, but overlooked the fact that 

 these exhibits would bring together, not only the growers, but the 

 consumers also. Since that time the growers' prospects have not 

 improved, owing, they say, to the prevalence of low prices brought 

 about by gluts and foreign competition. Buyers, on the other 

 hand, say the supply is unevenly and irregularly distributed, and 

 the price is too high when they purchase from the retailer. 

 Growers say fruit culture will not pay until the land each man 

 holds or occupies is as good as his own, or let to him on a very 

 long lease indeed ; but present owners of the soil somehow do 

 not seem to see the force of their argument, consequently the 

 most important work the present gathering has before it is the 

 framing of a scheme of open markets in which consumers can 

 buy first hand at fair remunerative prices. This is all very well, 

 but supposing each householder is hi a position to buy apples, say, 

 from day to day, where are those apples to come from ? Why, 

 we must import them. Actually, we must trust to the Colonies 

 for the produce of a tree which is indigenous to our soil, whilst 

 thousands of acres of land capable of producing the finest fruit 

 is going out of cultivation. To the R.H.S. should attach the 

 honour of taking the initiative in working out this problem, but 

 before the body can move, we must learn from reliable men the 

 progress which has been made in the great fruit-growing dis- 

 tricts. Living as I do in the county of Hereford, boasting its 

 27,000 acres of orcharding, where, in days gone by, thousands of 

 tons of good fruit were lost, wasted, or converted into indifferent 

 cider, I am able to form a pretty correct opinion of our own pro- 

 gress, and although less rapid than I could wish, I may say it is 

 fairly satisfactory. Cider drinking amongst the working classes 

 since I first knew the county has gradually decreased, conse- 

 quently small parcels of the rosy Tom Putt and other useful 

 apples, alike good for cooking or vintage, are now stored for daily 

 use by all the members of the grower's family. If not wanted, 

 then they are sold to dealers, who make a profit, for conveyance 

 to retailers, who also make another profit, and that a heavy one, 

 from their customers. Although a slight step forward, this state 

 of the case is not quite satisfactory, neither will it be until a 



