514 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



increase in the consumption of fruit in recent years, and the fact that it 

 seems to be steadily on the increase, to realise that furthur production in 

 Great Britain would be possible. In the last thirty years, not only has 

 this production been doubled, but our importation of fruit (after deducting 

 the re-exports) has risen from an insignificant quantity to the colossal 

 amount of approximately 13,000,000 cwt. per annum ; and so ex- 

 pansive has been the public taste for fruit, that this enormous increase 

 in the supply has in many cases not affected the average prices realised 

 to any appreciable extent. Having regard to all the evidence, the 

 Committee feel that it is probable that a large extension of the industry 

 at home might profitably be undertaken if carried out with judgment, and 

 that, if certain difficulties and drawbacks are removed, fruit-growing may 

 progress as rapidly in the future as it has in the past. 



The Extension of the Industry a Benefit to the Country. 



10. The next question which arises is, Would such an extension be 

 beneficial to the country ? Upon this the Committee think that there 

 can hardly be two opinions. As has been already observed, fruit has 

 taken the place of Wheat in some districts where it has been found 

 impossible to make Wheat pay, and it is evident that the profits from 

 fruit-growing, taking one year with another, are far greater than those 

 from ordinary farming. It is undoubtedly the case that the planting of 

 fruit greatly increases the value of land, as is shown by the high rents 

 which land under the cultivation of fruit commands. When visiting the 

 Evesham district, the Committee saw land which was let a few years ago 

 for ordinary agricultural purposes at not more than £1 an acre, and is 

 now fetching £6 an acre as a fruit plantation. Evidence of similar 

 enhancement of value in Middlesex was given by Mr. Lobjoit, a grower 

 from Hounslow, who said that he knew a piece of open land for which the 

 rent was £3 an acre, while on the other side of the hedge there was 

 similar land for which the tenant was paying £10 an acre, simply because 

 it was under fruit ; and Mr. Hodge stated that in the Blairgowrie district 

 fruit-growing had increased the letting value of the land from 25s. an 

 acre up to £4 to £12, and the selling value from £15 to £20 up to £50 

 to £100. Mr. Chivers also, representing the Wisbech district of 

 Cambridgeshire, spoke of the increase in the value of land in consequence 

 of the extension of fruit cultivation there. The same result is well known 

 in all parts of the country where fruit is grown to any extent. Another 

 beneficial effect of the planting of fruit is the great additional employment 

 of labour in country districts which of necessity follows. A fruit planta- 

 tion, especially if conducted on modern principles, employs far more 

 labour than any other crop, with the possible exception of hops. Mr- 

 Wood, of Swanley, a grower, not only of fruit on a very large scale, but 

 also of hops, stated that fifty acres of fruit land properly cultivated would 

 cost more money in labour than 1,000 acres of ordinary corn land, and he 

 put the average labour bill down at about £25 an acre per annum, both 

 in the case of fruit and hops. This view was confirmed by Mr. Pink, of 

 Kingsdown, Kent, Mr. Clayton, of Wisbech, Mr. Wise, Mr. Craze, and 

 many others. Mr. Pink's statement was remarkable : he said that the 



