Mfty Years of FniU Parming. 
173 
altogether underrate its importance, and deny that it can be 
farther developed. 
It is true that in certain seasons there has been over-pro- 
duction either of all or of some kinds of fruits, as in 1 88G, when it 
■was difficult to sell a proportion of the soft fruit at any price. In 
that year many plums and damsons literally rotted on the trees. 
Had there been jam factories, or more jam manufactories, in the 
hands of the fruit producers, or closely connected with them, this 
waste would have been avoided. The fruit could have been 
made into jam, or pulp — that is, jam without sugar. Since that 
time several producers have made arrangements for making 
jam on their own premises, while there has been an important 
addition to the number of jam manufactories, so that it is be- 
lieved that a repetition of the glut of 1886 will be avoided. 
""During the fest season and that of 1887 it was said that 
apple production in this country could not pay, because Ameri- 
can apples were coming over in abundance and of line quality, 
and were making far higher prices than English apples. This 
was exceptional. The bad weather and the attacks of cater- 
pillars spoilt the quality of the latter, so that there was but little 
well-grown fruit. Among many well-informed persons the 
opinion prevails that really good English apples, especially ot 
the choicer kinds, will always hold their own even against the 
best that come from the United States. Upon the whole, tak- 
ing the average of the last ten years, it is believed that fruit- 
growing has paid far better than any other agricultural industry 
during that period. 
Among the factors of the advance of fruit-farming in these 
later times there is none of more pi'ominence than jam. It has 
been the fashion to sneer at jam ; but the demand for it has 
enormously increased, and the jam, preserve, and essence-making 
industry is now of much importance, and will yet have a far wider 
development. In some branches it is only in its infancy. 
The abolition of the duty upon sugar in 1874 gave a great 
impetus to jam-making, and consequently to fruit production. 
British jam-makers have a practical monopoly in respect of jam 
and of fruits preserved with sugar, or treated with sugar in any 
way, because sugar is from 40 to 65 per cent, dearer in all other 
countries, on account of the duties imposed upon it. Quantities 
of fruit are sent to Great Britain from America, but no jam. 
Desiccated fruits of all kinds are imported from that country, 
but none preserved with sugar. 
On account of this and the wonderful demand for jams and 
preserves, and the gradual increase in the exports of these com- 
modities, jam manufactories have been established in many 
