786 JOUENAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



He further expressed the opinion that were it possible to export there 

 (in a form as nearly natural as possible) such fruits as Black and Red 

 Currants, Damsons, Gooseberries, Greengages, Blackberries, and Plums, 

 they would be readily purchased at any price ; and what is true of 

 Buenos Ayres is also true of every city and town in the world where 

 Englishmen are to be found. 



It will perhaps be asked, Would it ever be possible to place sufRcient 

 land under fruit cultivation to produce enough fruit, first to supply all 

 our own home requirements, and then to furnish a reserve for ex- 

 portation ? I shall not attempt to answer that question, as the Fellows 

 of this ancient Society could do this better than I ; but it is a matter of 

 common knowledge that there are large tracts of country, many miles 

 in extent, and unoccupied farmsteads in great numbers, which could very 

 well be brought under fruit cultivation. 



I have sometimes wondered why some capitalist or syndicate has not 

 attempted to lease the banks and waste lands of our great railway 

 systems for this very purpose. 



In direct touch with all the great towns and cities, there would be 

 very little difficulty of transit. 



Vegetables are known to thrive and do well in such positions, and 

 why not soft fruits ? However that may be, I fully believe that as soon 

 as the demand is created the fruit will be shortly forthcoming. 



No argument is needed to convince us of the fact that fruit can be 

 grown in Great Britain in almost unlimited quantity, and of a quality 

 that cannot be equalled, much less surpassed, by any country in the 

 world. And I venture to think that anyone who has seen the exhibits 

 of bottled fruits made here to-day will be convinced that British fruits 

 can be preserved in the highest state of perfection. The one other thing 

 required is an appreciative public, who will buy it in preference to fruits 

 foreign-grown and foreign-preserved. And there is little doubt but that 

 this will come in due course. 



As regards the matter of export, that can be left in abeyance until 

 we have an excess above the requirements of our own population. May 

 that day also come ! 



In closing this paper I should like to say that the statements I have 

 made and the views which I have expressed have been given upon 

 my own responsibility. I have no authority to speak on behalf of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society or of preservers generally. I can, how- 

 ever, claim to have given several years' continuous study to this method 

 of fruit preservation, during which time I have endeavoured to ascertain 

 the peculiar characteristics of every British fruit grown, and to bring 

 them into harmony with this particular system : a task neither easy nor 

 short, as every separate kind of fruit — to be preserved in perfection — 

 requires different treatment. For a long time this involved a great loss 

 both of time and of capital, as experiments always do ; but I felt that if 

 the difficulties could be overcome it would be of the greatest help, not 

 only to myself as a preserver, but also to others. One by one the 

 difficulties have been removed, and you will understand the satisfaction 

 with which one is able to say that the seemingly impossible has now 

 become both easy and natural. 



