6l2 



Fruit Culture in Normandy. 



[NOV., 



cultural. Wheat-growing and horse-breeding are the staple 

 industries. The small fruit culture is stationary, and no 

 progress in that direction is to be seen. 



Apples. — Cider apples are the great source of wealth in 

 this district, which is admirably situated for exportation. The 

 great facilities for traffic, the rapidity of transport by rail and 

 by several lines of steamers to England from Havre, Honfleur, 

 Caen and Cherbourg have given a fresh impetus to this branch 

 of agriculture. The number of trees planted is yearly increas- 

 ing, and the 1908 crop is generally extremely abundant. 



Although the prices have not yet been established on a firm 

 basis, it is generally understood that they will vary between 

 2 fr. 50 c. and 3 fr. per hectolitre (gd. or lid. per bushel), which 

 is very moderate. 



Apples known as " fruit au couteau," for dessert, have not 

 given such good returns, and this class of fruit may become the 

 object of importation either from England or Canada, whence 

 a great number have been imported in previous years as dried 

 apples. 



Cherries. — The crop has been very large and good in Maine, 

 Touraine, and the centre of France. Prices have been kept 

 rather low, but scarcely any have been shipped to England, 

 nearly the whole crop being sent to Paris. Caen has exported 

 none through the Newhaven steamers. Some have been sent 

 here from the southern parts of France, where they can be 

 bought at the lowest prices. 



Gooseberries. — These are grown in small quantities, in farm 

 and ordinary vegetable gardens, simply for the consumption of 

 the inhabitants and for jam. There is no jam factory in this 

 district. It is prepared privately and not for sale. Not- 

 withstanding, this, a gentleman at Manneville, near Caen, has 

 begun planting on a large scale. But this attempt is too recent 

 to allow of any general remark, the results already known 

 being too uncertain. The crop has been only moderately 

 satisfactory. 



Black Currants. — These are not cultivated here, except in 

 gardens. The general consumption, which is small, is supplied 

 from Angers. Two years ago one grower started planting a 

 great quantity of gooseberry and black currant bushes. He 

 has been able to export this year about i5>tons of black currants, 

 but no gooseberries. 



