578 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



No iodeed. It is all carefully packed — usually at the common packing 

 centre — in clean packages of even size and equal contenance, and 

 so packed that the top, middle, and bottom of the package holds fruit of 

 identical quality. There is nothing the fruit-buyer appreciates more 

 highly than honest packing. But to make this faithful packing possible 

 the fruit must be all previously graded — you can't pack ungraded fruit 

 — and carefully graded it is. Further, right through its history — on 

 the tree, in the packing house, and before it is shipped — this fruit is 

 inspected and inspected; the grower submits to, in fact courts, inspec- 

 tion, for he knows it is all part of that system of thoroughness which- 

 makes so much for his own well-being. 



From the orchard to the market, system and organization control 

 Colonial fruit — system and organization only possible when all con- 

 cerned see eye to eye and work shoulder to shoulder. 



Nowadays we frequently hear the expression Scientific Fruit 

 Culture." What is scientific fruit culture? I think, if the term is 

 not too grand to apply to the methods whereby an industry is wrought 

 at with success, we may justly characterize the methods employed in 

 the Colonial fruit industry as *' scientific." 



Science is merely ordered knowledge : the knowledge evidenced in 

 the production of the fruit we are discussing is surely well-ordered 

 knowledge. Furthermore, it is not merely such knowledge as accrues 

 from practical experience, but, to at least an equal degree, it is know- 

 ledge ready for use, bestowed upon those who use it directly by the 

 veritable scientist. Botanist, biologist, pathologist, mycologist, 

 chemist, and entomologist have each and all their share in bringing the 

 Colonial fruit industry to the high position it holds, and they must all 

 continue to bear a hand in maintaining it in that position. The State 

 departments will see to it that the supply of pure science does not fail. 



Certainly, I think, we may with justice say that the fruit culture I 

 have endeavoured to describe is scientific fruit culture. 



In passing let us note the attitude and feeling existing between the 

 practical man and the scientist in Colonial horticulture. How does the 

 man in the field feel towards the man in the laboratory? What is the 

 attitude of the man of research towards the man of practice? Each 

 believes in and upholds the other; each knows that he is the comple- 

 ment of the other. They are yoke-fellows in the same plough. The 

 fruit-farmer appreciates the vast services the scientist renders him, and 

 the man of science knows his efforts are only crowned with success in 

 its finest form when their results prove of practical service to the farmer. 

 Science is thus stimulated to fresh efforts, not only in the purely 

 academic vein, but along the lines of economic utility. Can such a state 

 of affairs be too vociferously applauded? How very patent here to-day 

 is tlie outcome of it ! What a power for good, what a lever to progress, 

 (loos this haj^py attitude bph\'een science and practice constitute! 



In this way, then- — and there is something extraordinary about it 

 — not in one alone, but lu almost every one of the great British Colonies 

 has a sound fruit-producing industry been built up. But a few of the 

 Colonial States are represented by their products in the present 



