14 



JOUKNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



will be found. The utmost that can be done will be to give 

 the agricultural classes some help where intelligence and skill 

 are brought to bear. As long as we continue to import such 

 large quantities of fruits and vegetables as we do — between six 

 and seven millions in value annually — that fact will be pointed 

 to as indicating a direction in which more may be done in this 

 country ; but it must not be forgotten that the total includes 

 some fruits that cannot be cultivated in this country, and it is 

 a further matter for consideration that it is by no means clear at 

 the present moment that where hardy fruits such as Pears and 

 Apples can be successfully cultivated, that can be done to bring 

 in anything like a satisfactory profit. Since I have been in the 

 gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society I have asked two 

 authorities what they thought on that subject. One gentleman, 

 who is a most successful cultivator of fruit, told me that with all 

 the care and intelligence which could be brought to bear in the 

 cultivation of Apples and Pears, the profit to be made would not 

 perhaps be more than 6d. a sieve. If it be so, it is not a very 

 good profit. The other gentleman said he was quite certain that 

 for all the hardy fruit that could be grown in this country a good 

 market could be found. I trust the latter is the correct view. 

 The present Conference has a different object from those of 

 1883 and 1885. On the previous occasions an attempt was 

 made to collect every description of known Apple with the 

 view, to a certain extent, of eliminating those varieties that 

 were of little value for purposes of cultivation. And that was 

 also the case with Pears. The present Conference proposes to 

 mvite the exhibition of such varieties only as find favour, or 

 may be considered thoroughly worthy of cultivation; and one 

 object of this Conference is to illustrate by facts and examples 

 the present state and future prospects of commercial fruit culture 

 in this country. I venture to think that our object is a thoroughly 

 practical one, and when you pass through this conservatory, and 

 the tents which are adjuncts to it, you will see that, having 

 regard to the exceedingly unfortunate season which we have 

 passed, the exhibition made by the leading fruit growers of the 

 country is one which is eminently satisfactory. It appears to 

 me that what the Conference can most wisely do, and that which 

 the papers to be read promise to do, is to draw attention to the 

 varieties which can best be cultivated, both of Apples and Pears, 

 throughout the country, having regard to the various conditions 

 of climate and soil. Having read the programme for the week, 

 which had been published, and remarked that the Chairmen 

 for the three last days of the Conference were all excellent 

 men, who would bring additional light to bear on the subjects 

 of discussion, Sir Trevor went on to say : — One matter of im- 

 portance has been dealt with by the House of Commons, and 

 that is the question of railway charges for carriage. As Mr. 



