CONFERENCE ON FRUIT GROWING. 



7 



Durondeau, Beurre Hardy, Fertility, Williams's Bon Chretien, Beurre 

 Superfin, Marie Louise d'Uccle. 



Plums, the eight best. — Cox's Emperor, Greengage, Jefferson's, Victoria, 

 Monarch, Czar, Early Prolific, Denniston's Superb. 



It will be some guide, in choosing the kinds to plant, to observe which 

 varieties do well or otherwise in the particular district, but it will not do 

 to rely too much on this, as a grower may be deterred from planting a 

 good variety because of some failure that he has noticed in it. The cause 

 of such failure, however, may be owing to neglect or improper culture, 

 and not to the fault of the variety. 



It is most important to keep the ground thoroughly clean, both at the 

 top and bottom. Many of our cultivators are fully alive to this, but 

 I was particularly struck with the remarkable cleanliness of Canadian 

 orchards, where the ground is kept clean by disc hoes, and the trees by 

 systematic and continuous spraying. I -venture to suggest here that 

 our Government might greatly help growers in this matter of cleanliness, 

 and in many other directions. We do not like any fussy interference in 

 this country, but the Government may do much by giving systematic 

 help. I had opportunities of observing how this kind of help is given 

 in Canada, where I travelled through some of the fruit-growing distrigts 

 with a Government Inspector. His business was to see that packing 

 was honestly and properly performed, and also that the trees were 

 systematically sprayed. The inspector was welcomed by most of the 

 growers, who questioned him on many points ; and he was ready to 

 answer all questions, and help with any difficulties that presented 

 themselves. 



Experimental and practical work is carried out most carefully at the 

 four Government stations in different parts of the Dominion, where the 

 results of all experiments and trials are carefully tabulated and put at 

 the disposal of all applicants. 



Can we not urge our Government to do likewise ? 



If crops are heavy, it pays to go over trees of some varieties of the 

 larger kinds, such as Lord Derby and Warner's King, and thin the crop ; 

 even half -grown fruits fetch a fair price early in the season, before the 

 "Americans" come in. Some soft varieties need gathering before they 

 are quite ripe, but all late varieties should be left until they are fully 

 matured, otherwise the fruit becomes shrivelled and unsaleable before 

 the end of the season. 



Grading and packing are most important considerations. It often 

 pays to select the best fruits only for market, and by carefully and 

 tastefully packing these (in the case of the better-class fruits with tissue 

 paper) in flat boxes, more money may be made from them than from the 

 whole crop, including smaller fruits. 



If it be necessary to send larger packages to market, select fruit of even 

 size (and of course only one variety) in a package. 



Note : — Mr. G. Bunyard and Mr. J. Cheal having given lists of the 

 varieties of fruits they recommend, attention is called to the list 

 published by the Society — see page 101. 



