MARKET GARDEN CULTIVATION DURING QUEEN VICTORIA'S REIGN. 411 



assistance it would have been imposssble for me to have re- 

 sponded to the wish of your Society by reading this paper 

 to-day. 



Discussion. 



Mr. Roupell expressed the pleasure with which he had 

 listened to the paper. He considered its grasp something 

 wonderful. It gave evidence of very great research. There was, 

 however, one omission, and that was, the paper contained no 

 allusion to the invasion from the Antipodes. Tasmania and 

 the other Australasian colonies were preparing to extend their 

 cultivation of fruit, and a list had already been supplied of what 

 the former country was able to do. He had had from the 

 colony of Victoria a very handsome offer if he could introduce 

 to the colony a good dessert Apple which could be put on the 

 London market early. He had suggested one or two names, but 

 our early varieties were not adapted for keeping. The sample 

 sent out should be a good early Apple, and most pleasant to eat 

 when taken from the tree. It should therefore be an Apple 

 with some of the character of the King of Pippins, or the new 

 Allington Pippin, that would meet the want. He was convinced 

 that the supply of a good Apple created a demand, and that 

 people when they had been accustomed to pay 4rf. and 6d. a lb. 

 for good Australian fruit would not hesitate to pay a better 

 price than they had been in the habit of paying for good English 

 fruit later in the season. For that reason he should look with 

 hope rather than despair to the prospect of our having Australia 

 to compete with us. He was sometimes amused by the remarks 

 made by amateurs and gardeners in the horticultural press as to 

 the high quality of their produce. He wished those writers 

 could pay a visit to the establishments of Messrs. Kay, Ladds, or 

 Rochford. Such a visit would take the conceit out of them. 

 He had visited the establishment of Mr. Peter Kay, and was 

 astonished at the G.rapes, the bunches being as big as horses' 

 heads. He thought the Royal Horticultural Society might yet 

 do a great deal for market growers by encouraging them and 

 giving facilities for exhibiting their produce at the fortnightly 

 and annual Shows. 



Mr. George Bunyakd, V.M.H., said Mr. Assbee had advised 

 a large increase in the plantation of Currants. Unfortunately 

 during the last few years a dire calamity had seized the Black 



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