CONFERENCE ON FRUIT-GROWING. 



7* 



The manufacturers of spray fluids are ready to take up new formulas 

 as these are invented, and are themselves anxious to have the washes 

 standardized on a scientific basis. 



There are more scientific workers in the field, and, best of all, the 

 practical man, the fruit-grower — be he farmer, gardener, or nursery-man 

 — shows himself more and more anxious to take advantage of scientific 

 advice and by its help to do his best to grow " more clean fruit." 



In the unavoidable absence of Mr. James Udale, of the County 

 Experimental Garden, Droitwich, the Secretary of the Society, 

 Rev. W. Wilks, M.A., V.M.H., then read Mr. Udale's paper on 



Fruit Grading. 



Profitable fruit cultivation entails something more than culti- 

 vation only, even when this is of the best. The best varieties 

 must replace the worn-out and out-of-date ones of each kind of fruit 

 grown; and no effort must be spared to produce these superior 

 varieties in the best possible condition. 



But cultivation and selection of varieties are not sufficient : some- 

 thing more is required in these days. The fruit must be offered to the 

 buyer in an honest and attractive form. Honest, by the upper layer 

 or layers of fruit being really representative of the bulk ; attractive, 

 by judicious grading and careful packing. How is it possible for a 

 prospective buyer to make a fair bid for the fruit if all qualities 

 be mixed together, or if the reprehensible system known as 

 " topping " be practised, no matter whether he be buying direct from 

 the grower or through the medium of a salesman or commission 

 agent ? Therefore a grower who fails judiciously to grade his fruit 

 before sending it to market is unfair to himself and his fruit, and in 

 my opinion — based upon over thirty years' practical experience — he 

 loses money on the annual fruit crops through this omission. 



Unquestionably instances occur when a grower receives a number 

 of sales accounts during a fruit season showing no appreciable 

 difference between his first-grade and second-grade fruit ; and the 

 writer thinks he can find examples of this annually in his own books. 

 On October 23, 1917, he sent ' Cellini ' Apples in first grade and 

 second grade to a salesman, and in return received 18s. per cwt. for 

 the second grade and 16s. per cwt. for the first grade ! Or here is 

 an instance of ' Catillac ' Pears, distinctly first grade and second 

 grade, yet realizing 30s. per cwt. for the first and 28s. for the second. 



Again, take 1 Pitmaston Duchess ' Pears, a bush growing in the 

 open and producing 348 lb. ; the prices realized in the open market 

 were as follows : First grade, 28s. gd. ; second grade, 24s. ; third grade, 

 20s. At first sight it appeared as though no appreciable advantage 

 had been gained by the grading ; but on reflection the thought was 

 strongly borne in on me that if they had not been graded at all we 

 would probably have received the third price, 20s., for the whole. 



