257 
Horticultural  Exhibition  at  Gloucester. 
admired.  Few  private  establishments  could  show  anything 
surpassing  it  either  in  variety  or  excellence  of  cultivation. 
A horticultural  exhibition  must  be  allowed  to  be  attractive 
as  a condition  to  popularity.  But  this  represents  the  “Sporting 
element  ” necessary  to  advance  and  maintain  the  standard  of 
the  horticultural  art.  For  the  same  reason  at  a poultry  show, 
“ fancy  ” is  encouraged  as  well  as  the  qualities  immediately 
desirable  for  the  table.  If,  however,  a horticultural  exhibition 
is  to  be  a customary  feature  of  a Royal  Agricultural  Show,  it 
may  be  suggested  that  it  should  receive  recognition  from  the 
Council  and  that  the  co-operation  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  should  be  secured.  It  would  then  be  possible  to  give 
the  Exhibition  a more  utilitarian  scope.  Horticulture  is 
becoming,  indeed  has  already  become,  a great  national 
industry  to  which  the  land  is  indispensable.  As  agriculture 
becomes  more  intensive,  the  dividing  line  between  it  and 
horticulture  tends  to  disappear.  The  potato  is  a striking 
instance  of  a crop  which  has  been  transferred  from  the  garden 
to  the  farm.  We  still,  however,  import  them  to  the  value  of 
two  millions.  The  wealthy  will  always  demand  early  vegetables, 
the  produce  of  warmer  climates.  But  the  cheapness  of  glass 
will  make  it  possible  to  compete  with  them  at  home.  The 
Board  of  Agriculture  has  repeatedly  pointed  out  the  enormous 
extent  to  which  our  consumption  of  fruit  and  of  even  the 
commonest  vegetables  is  supplied  from  abroad.  Comparatively 
little  has  been  done  to  meet  the  demand,  though  of  late  years 
farmers  have  competed  with  market  gardeners  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  greens  and  cabbages  with  which  they  can  feed  their 
stock  in  case  of  a glut  in  the  market.  Here  there  is  a chance 
for  the  small  holder  in  country  districts  if  he  can  be  induced 
to  co-operate  in  marketing  his  produce. 
But  fruit  cultivation  stands  in  most  urgent  need  of  an 
impulse.  Little  progress  will  be  made  in  the  improvement  of 
cider  till  our  farm  orchards,  the  condition  of  which  is  mostly 
deplorable,  are  treated  with  more  intelligence.  At  Gloucester 
there  was  an  instructive  competition  in  fruit-spraying.  The 
principle  which  has  been  adopted  in  giving  prizes  for  local 
plantations  might  with  advantage  be  extended  to  orchards  and 
fruit-gardens.  And  the  more  effective  management  of  small- 
holdings, of  which  there  are  believed  to  be  some  12,000  in 
the  county  of  Gloucester  alone,  would  seem  to  be  as  much 
deserving  of  encouragement  as  that  of  farms.  Indirectly  this 
would  stimulate  the  activity  of  the  village  Flower  Shows 
which  are  already  playing  a useful  part  in  rural  education. 
The  Ferns. 
Witcombe,  Gloucester. 
W.  T.  Thiselton-Dter. 
VOL.  70. 
S 
