CONFERENCE ON FRUIT GROWING. 



21 



catalogue them ? I think nobody will hesitate to say that better Apples 

 are grown in the British Islands than are grown in America. There are 

 more bad American Apples sold in this country than bad English Apples. 

 I am always sorry when I see people buying the bruised wretched stuff 

 from America, and discarding our own fruit. The fault is thrown by 

 the growers upon the railway companies. They are called upon to carry 

 all kinds of things, and at rates that will not pay. This stuff should 

 never have been sent to the market. Good fruit is sent to the railway 

 companies, but not in sufficient quantities. Let them know that they 

 can have a constant supply from a certain given centre, then the railway 

 companies would meet us fairly and bring down their rates. Give us 

 ' Lord Grosvenors,' give us Lane's ' Prince Alberts,' and we can sell any 

 quantity of them at good prices. This has been said by salesmen. It 

 has been asked, what is the Government going to do ? It is not often 

 that we are progressive, but in this matter we are. In the matter of the 

 protection of trees, the Irish Board of Agriculture insist that they must 

 be sprayed. Pests will always be there unless the trees are sprayed. 

 That is where we are so far behind the Americans. In all new planta- 

 tions the trees must be sprayed. One point I should like to emphasise. 

 The small grower has the advantage. That has been our experience in 

 Ireland ; and I have seen fruit sent from there and elsewhere by com- 

 paratively small growers, and realising very large profits. This is an 

 industry for the small grower, and it will be one of the most flourishing 

 and prosperous if it is worked out on the right lines. We can meet 

 foreign competition if we like by growing good fruit. The best sorts to 

 grow in Ireland are Lane's 'Prince Albert,' Bramley's 'Seedling,' and 

 ' Newton Wonder.' 



Mr. John Crook : Some sorts are prone to canker, and some the 

 reverse. Some of the kinds I could name are absolute failures, where such 

 varieties as the 1 Annie Elizabeth ' are a perfect success. I could name 

 others. But where are we to draw the line in taking up different 

 varieties ? I believe we shall never get on until we have educated the 

 people — unless we have some means of diffusing knowledge throughout 

 the country we shall never move forward as we wish. 



Mr. Geo. Bunyard, replying on the discussion, said : I should like to 

 say that it is most important, in planting Apples on the Paradise stock 

 and Pears on the Quince stock, that the junction be placed 2 inches 

 below the soil. When above the level of the soil, the junction is restricted 

 and the grafted portion is strangled. If put under the level of the soil, 

 the stock swells with the scion. 



I have been reading in the Westminster Gazette an interview with 

 Mr. Garcia, of Covent Garden, in which he says : " There can be no doubt 

 that the fact that fruit can be put on the English markets from all parts 

 of the world without any duty is conducive to this end [the development 

 of the fruit trade]. A duty so small as 5 per cent, would be sufficient to 

 reduce the shipments fully 50 to 60 per cent. That would be the case, 

 for the reason that a 5 per cent, duty all round would equal the profits 

 of the shippers. They are now satisfied with that ; but if a duty were 

 put on of 5 per cent, you would take their profits away, and they would 

 ship a less quantity in order to get an increased price. The prices 



