EE PORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE FRUIT INDUSTRY. 525 



similar to the Duke of Bedford's experimental farm at Woburn, where 

 experiments in planting, manuring, priming, spraying, and other methods 

 of combating insect injuries and diseases should be systematically carried 

 out by experts, and the results recorded. For the purposes of such a 

 station thirty acres might suffice. It has also been suggested by several 

 witnesses that, in addition and contiguous to the experimental station, 

 there should be a large fruit-farm, for demonstrational purposes, under 

 the management of the Government sub-Department, but worked on 

 strictly practical lines. Such a farm, it was contended, would be of great 

 use to growers, by showing them the latest and most scientific methods 

 of growing fruit for market ; and in connection with it a school of in- 

 struction might be established, where future fruit-growers and horticultural 

 instructors could receive a practical training. It is pointed out that 

 nothing of the kind exists in the case of fruit-growing, whereas gardeners 

 are trained at Kew in flower-gardening ; and that it would be a great" 

 advantage if the County Council horticultural lecturers of the future had 

 had an opportunity of studying at the Government fruit-farm. Lecturers 

 who had received their training there would become the means of dis- 

 seminating, not only sound practical knowledge, but also an appreciation 

 of the scientific methods imbibed from the neighbouring experimental 

 station. With such men dispersed throughout the country, the central 

 station would have but little difficulty in the collection of local informa- 

 tion, or in arranging for the carrying out elsewhere of such experiments 

 as might require repetition under different conditions of soil or climate. 

 The Committee feel that this suggestion has much to recommend it, and 

 they would like to see it carried into effect ; but they regard the establish- 

 ment of the Government sub-Department and the Experimental Station 

 as of greater importance at the present moment, and they therefore 

 confine their definite recommendations to these two points. The Com- 

 mittee are, of course, aware that in the past England has looked to private 

 benevolence for most of its experimental work, instead of to the State, as 

 other countries have done ; and in horticulture there already exists the 

 experimental station founded by the Duke of Bedford in 1894. But they 

 are strongly of the opinion that the time is now past when a private 

 station can adequately supply the requirements of the nation : no such 

 station can have the same authority, the same scope, nor the same 

 influence as a station conducted by, and forming an integral part of, one 

 of the Departments of the State itself. 



26. It may be objected that in making this recommendation the 

 Committee are asking, for the cultivation of fruit, advantages and 

 privileges not enjoyed by any other branch of agriculture. This objec- 

 tion was more than once raised in cross-examination. In reply the 

 Committee desire, to point out: (1) That fruit-growing has special 

 difficulties, and that our knowledge is most incomplete. (2) That the 

 amount of capital invested in it per acre far exceeds that invested in 

 an ordinary agricultural farm. (3) That it employs far more labour. 

 (4) That agricultural experimental work has been in progress in England 

 for over sixty years — indeed, it might be said ever since the end of the 

 eighteenth century — and that this country has from the beginning taken a 

 leading position in such work throughout the world ; whereas systematic 



