484 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



practical experience culled from far wider sources. Although 

 " research " is very far from having exhausted its scope and oppor- 

 tunities, and cultural methods cannot be said to have arrived at a state 

 of perfection which admits of no improvement, yet technical knowledge 

 in the craft of fruit-growing is already advanced enough in this country 

 to make it safe for anyone to engage in the industry who is prepared 

 to profit by what research has already achieved, and to adopt such 

 cultural methods as the best practical experience of the day recognizes 

 to be sound. Furthermore, the fruit-farmer is well advised not only to 

 start but to continue in close touch with this advancing knowledge, so 

 that he may administer his farm in such a manner that its fortunes 

 advance step by step with that increasing technical knowledge. It is 

 not enough to set out in the right direction and with the correct equip- 

 ment, but success depends upon continuing strictly in the right direction, 

 and ever adding to the equipment at every opportunity. 



Now to the " making of a fruit-farm." There are thousands of 

 acres of land in this country upon which as yet no fruit-bearing trees 

 and bushes are planted which are eminently suitable to the purpose 

 of fruit -farming. These acres are not very easily to be discovered, and 

 still less easily, perhaps, acquired, but it is worth the would-be fruit- 

 farmer's while to seek them out, and acquire his portion of them, at 

 some pains to himself. There are many acres also of the above descrip- 

 tion which are planted to fruit, and the fact of their eminent suitability 

 is expressed in the flourishing condition of the orchards upon them and 

 by the palpable prosperity of their owners. 



Again, there are thousands of acres of land very much less suited 

 to the purpose of fruit- farming, many of which are planted to fruit 

 with varying results, and with which too often success has only been 

 achieved at the cost of an inordinate expenditure in labour, time, and 

 money. And again, there are acres innumerable that are wholly un- 

 suited to the fruit-farm, acres to be carefully avoided. 



To make a fruit-farm, then, which is to be the making, in a financial 

 sense, of the fruit-farmer, it must be a first and foremost consideration 

 to make it on the right spot ; he must devote all his acumen to the 

 selection of a suitable site. So many factors influence this matter of 

 site that it is a very rare occurrence indeed to find a site which has 

 no defects ; but it is well within the bounds of possibility to find sites 

 without radical defects, and with only such as may be, within economic 

 limits, rectified or discounted. 



Now, what are the ** points " the intending fruit-planter must keep 

 in mind when selecting land for a fruit-farm ? We will consider them 

 and their relative importance in effecting results, with the factors that 

 must be taken into account when determining whether a given parcel 

 of land will be suitable or otherwise. The very first thing to be taken 

 into account is the position of the ground — its actual situation. 



. For the moment we will dissociate the idea and the word ** soil " 

 from our meaning when using the word ** site," and consider the points 

 of a good site, irrespective of the soils which may cover it. 



