4 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



I am sorry to say that the recommendations are forty in number, and, 

 knowing what usually happens to recommendations of Committees, they 

 are not very likely to be all adopted, but still there is a large number 

 which fairly claim thoughtful consideration. I thank you very much for 

 listening to the few remarks I have had to make, and I now call upon 

 Mr. Bunyard to read his paper. 



FOEEIGN COMPETITION AND HOW TO MEET IT. 

 (A) The Best Varieties to Grow. 



Mr. Geo. Bunyard : I wish to say a few words at this Conference, 

 and my remarks may be looked upon as merely opening the discussion 

 instead of being a paper at any length. Mr. Cheal will deal with the 

 subject from one point of view, and it is our desire that there should be 

 every possible discussion. I would say at the outset that we must, of 

 course, look upon the altered conditions governing trade, and especially 

 the fruit trade, at the present time in this country. Very many of you 

 will recollect that when foreign fruit came into this country years ago it 

 was carried in sailing vessels. The introduction of steam has entirely 

 altered the methods of importation, and the British fruit-growers have 

 now the foreigner to take into account. Steam power has made such 

 a revolution in a short time, that we now find in our markets fruit 

 from the Canaries, South Africa, California, &c. This must occupy the 

 serious attention of those who believe that fruit can be grown in this 

 country, when to such a large extent the home-grown fruit has been dis- 

 placed by its foreign rivals. I might mention the enormous development 

 in the Banana and Orange trade. It was at one time very unusual to see 

 many Oranges till just before Christmas, and Bananas were never seen. 

 I mention these things because they must to some extent take the place of 

 the fruit which is produced in this country. We have to take that into 

 consideration, especially when we are reviewing the soft-fruit trade, because 

 we find our markets are made use of for the importation of a large quantity 

 of pulp, free. On the Continent the small growers combine and take every 

 advantage of co-operation, sending their goods to a central depot, and 

 thus placing themselves on equal terms with the big men. 



Then comes the question, how are we to meet the foreigner? We 

 must exercise business qualities as we should in any other business. 

 We must meet this competition by organisation. We have Chambers of 

 Commerce in various parts of the country, and they could do a great deal 

 more in conjunction with the Fruit Growers' Federation, and other Societies 

 which will be represented here during the present week. My own opinion 

 is, looking back over fifty years of active business as a grower, that we shall 

 stand very little chance unless some organisation is brought into play. 

 From my experience the small grower is handicapped by having to provide 

 far too many kinds of some fruits. Two or three thousand bushels of one 

 or two varieties would be preferable, and the small grower should cater for the 

 local and retail trade, rather than flood the market and not get an adequate 

 return. Of course there is not so much difficulty as there used to be in that 

 particular department, because the principal railway companies are now 



