214 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 18,1S90. 
Ade, Mr. E. Turner, an 1 Mr. T. W. Beach. There was also a good 
attendance of fruit growers and others in the district especially 
interested in the matter. 
The Mayor opened the proceedings at 4 p.m. with a brief but pithy 
speech, in which he referred to the objects of the Association, and 
dwelt especially upon the importance of facilitating the distribution of 
fruit to consumers. Mr. T. Francis Eivers followed with a few general 
remarks, of which the following is the substance. 
He mentior ed that the British Fruit Growers’ Association wasfounded 
about two years ago, at the time when public attention was directed to 
the fact that a great industry was in danger of passing away from this 
country, and that no serious efforts were being made to prevent the 
withdrawal, but the various speeches and essays delivered on the ques¬ 
tion caused a large increase in planting, which would no doubt have a 
very sensible effect upon the fruit market in time. There had been and 
were many diverse opinions as to the profits to be derived from fiuit 
culture, and unless it could be proved that there was a reasonable profit 
to be obtained, no advocacy would extend the plantation of fruit trees 
in England or elsewhere. The basis must be on the firm foundation of 
profit to the producer and advantage to the consumer. Passing on, he 
expressed his surprise at the absence of any large orchards to be observed 
on the railway journey from London to Brighton, and argued that if the 
land round Brighton could be available for fruit growing, the town 
would alone require hundreds of acres for the constant supply which 
was furnished unceasingly by the purveyors. That this demand was not 
supplied by Sussex could not be due to the quality of the whole of the 
land, or to tie rigour of the climate, and it seemed much to be desired 
that the causes of the want of production should be investigated. It 
was grievous that the large sums paid for fruit should not go into 
the hands of the neighbouring cultivators, as it surely could be placed 
in the Brighton Market with as little expense for carriage as when 
derived from London. The speaker passed on to the system of fruit 
growing, observing that his own system of planting was to trench 24 
inches deep, to apply fifty tons of good farmyard manure per acre, and 
to plant Apple and Plum trees 9 feet apart, dwarf standards, with stems 
4 feet clear from the surface of the soil to the first branch, and a row of 
Black Currants, Gooseberries, Kaspberries, or Strawberries, between the 
rows of permanent fruit trees. This arrangement would give about 
1600 trees per acre, and as all the trees would commence bearing in 
about three years, the time of return was rapid compared with the farm 
orchard, being seven standard trees. The cost of this plantation was 
great. It was an investment of capital, and could only be undertaken 
by those who could afford to wait, but the profits in the end were con¬ 
siderable. In dealing with the sorts of Apples and Plums to be grown, 
he warned growers against planting o’d sorts, new varieties being more 
vigorous and more hardy. 
Mr. J. Cheal, in commenting on some of the remarks of Mr. Eivers, 
maintained that fruit growing could not be taken up in a day, and he 
went on to advise prospective growers before entering on the under¬ 
taking to consider all the circumstances and surroundings. To turn 
out rightly the thing must be begun rightly, and they must especially 
consider whether they could make a better profit by supplying the 
markets retail than by wholesale. For a retail supply they would have 
to rear a large number of varieties of fruit, but for a wholesale supply 
fewer varieties would be necessary. Eegarding the climate, to show 
that it was not wholly responsible for the scarce growth of fruit in the 
south, he would like to point out that from one Apple tree planted by 
a friend of his in Essex, in ten years—1872-82—forty and a half pecks 
of Apples were produced, and they were sold at the Chelmsford 
market at the rate of about 6s. per bushel. That meant an acre of such 
trees was worth £363. In a part of Sussex, too, a grower had a capital 
produce, and realised very satisfactory prices at the Eastbourne market. 
He only gave this as an illustration, and did not wish anyone to run 
away with the idea that anything like so large an amount could be 
realised from every acre of trees planted. Mr. Councillor Ballard and 
several other gentlemen also took part in the discussion. 
Mr. G. Gordon next gave a review of what had been observed by 
himself and Mr. L. Cast'e in the recent tour in Ireland, and referred to 
the collection of Irish fruit which had been conveyed from the Crystal 
Palace Show, and were exhibited in another portion of the building. 
At the conclusion of the Irish discussion Mr. J. Eoberts, formerly of 
Gunnersbury, read a paper on “ Grapes for Market,” which was regarded 
as one of the most important contributions to the subject that has yet 
been made public. As far as possible in a paper of this kind he dealt 
with all the principal aspects of the subject in a thoroughly practical 
manner, as can be judged from the paper itself. (See page 241). 
In the unavoidable absence of Mr. W. Iggulden, who had prepared 
an admirable and exhaustive paper upon the “ Culture of Tomatoes for 
Profit,” the portions dealing with culture were read by Mr. J. Cheal, 
and excited much attention, as there were several growers present who 
are engaged in the production of Tomatoes for market on an extensive 
scale. The cultural instructions were, however, generally confirmed by 
those who heard the paper read. In the course of the discussion Mr. 
A. Cheal furnished some interesting statistics with regard to the impor¬ 
tant fruit growing industry in the Worthing district. He said that 
585 tons of fruit were despatched from Worthing and 78 tons from 
Lancing Station during the year, a combined total of 663 tons, of which 
he should say fu'ly 50 per cent, were Tomatoes. Apart from the railway 
despatch quite 25 per cent, were sent by road. Such figures were 
encouraging, and showed the increase of the industry, while he should 
like to say that the prices realLed for the fruit averaged 5d. per pound. 
The supply had increased with the demand, and perhaps the supply had 
created the demand. About 350 tons of Tomatoes were produced in the 
district, £20,000 was the estimated value of the Tomato crop, and the- 
other fruit crop £14,000, which made a total of £34,000. 
Mr. Eobert Smith of Kenwards, Yalding, had prepared an able paper 
describing his methods of cultivating Peaches and Pears on walls, with 
which for many years he has been extremely successful. Owing, however,, 
to the time occupied by the preceding papers he consented to confine- 
himself to the culture of the Peach and Nectarine, concerning which he 
gave some important details. This concluded the programme, votes of 
thanks to the readers of the papers and to the Chairman bringing the- 
third successful meeting of the season to a close. 
The Market Gardens of Worthing. 
Some of the members of the Association remained in Brighton until 
the next day with the intention of visiting the principal market gardens- 
in Worthing. This was accomplished in most favourable weather, and 
under the guidance of Mr. A. Cheal and Mr. W. G. Head, both of whom 
were well acquainted with the district, an instructive tour was com¬ 
menced. Some of the leading Grape and Tomato growers’ establish¬ 
ments were visited, and at each place the members were received with 
a degree of courtesy and attention that was most gratifying. It would- 
be quite impossible in the space of a brief report like this to do justice 
to a tithe of what was seen, but it was the unanimous verdict that 
better all-round Grape culture had never been witnessed. This applied 
with equal force to the last establishment visited, that of Mr. J. Pullen- 
Bury at Sompting, a short distance from Worthing and Lancing. There 
a house of Muscat of Alexandria and one of Lady Downe’s -were seen 
that will probably never be forgotten by any of those who were pre¬ 
sent. Such large, even bunches and berries, such a clean bright appear¬ 
ance, and such a crop surpassed, as regards the Muscats, everything that 
the visitors had ever seen before, and, as one experienced Grape culti¬ 
vator remaiked, “ It takes all the conceit out of us.” Mr. Pullen- 
Bury is, however, a remarkable man ; an inspection of his houses shows 
that, and a short interview with him on business matters proves it. In¬ 
domitable energy, unflagging perseverance, and keen observation have- 
enabled him to succeed in no ordinary degree when others would have 
failed. We saw instances even amongst these market gardens where the- 
places and the businesses were evidently drifting in the wrong direction 
from a lack of the all-important guiding energy and attention. 
In the course of the day it is estimated that between twenty and 
thirty tons of Grapes were seen, and with few exceptions these were all 
of remarkable quality, the weight of the crop on both old and young. 
Vines being astonishing. The Tomatoes were to some extent exhausted,, 
but in nearly all cases they were planted in rows on the floor of span- 
roof houses, three or four rows on each side to the centre, then trained- 
upright to the roof, and in many instances they were a dense mass of 
growth, that seemed strangely opposed to satisfactory results. 
Peach culture at one time occupied a good deal of space and atten¬ 
tion at Worthing, but seems to be almost entirely discarded now.. 
Cucumbers are largely produced, and some of the growers also cultivate 
Apples, Pears, and Figs out of doors, but with the exception of the last- 
named the under glass culture is by far the most important. 
The West Tarring Fig Garden. 
All round the district Figs appear to thrive in a remarkable manner,, 
and perfect fine crops of fruit; but the most interesting garden is one 
devoted entirely to Figs at West Tarring, a mile or two from Worthing. 
This is about an acre in extent, and a perfect thicket or a forest of old 
and grand Fig trees, which yield a bountiful crop for a small share of 
attention. Some of the trees are evidently of great age, and upon one- 
is a board with the following legend inscribed theron :—“ The oldest 
Fig tree in England. Planted by Thomas a Beckett 800 years ago.’ 3 ' 
Antiquity has certain attractions, and no doubt many have gone away 
deeply impressed with the above statement. Competent authorities 
have, however, estimated the tree to be 100 or possibly 160 years old as 
the extreme limit—quite old enough, and 600 or 700 years more or 
less are of small consequence to local historians in places of public 
resort. In a search for some historical particulars concerning this Fig 
garden, the following note from the pen of the late Mr. G. W. Johnson 
was found, and is so appropriate that it is reproduced. After referring- 
to the Figs at Arundel, he says :—■ 
“ I pass on to Tarring, known by that name in Anglo-Saxon records, 
for King Athelstan about the year 943, gave the manor ‘ to the church 
of Christ in Canterbury,’ and in Domesday Book it is mentioned as part 
of the Archbishop’s possessions. In 1277, the tenant not paying his 
rent, which might be taken in kind, a record states the prices at which 
some of the produce might be claimed : ‘a good goose Id., two good 1 
hens Id., five score of eggs Id.’ A quarter of Wheat was Is. 6d., but the- 
Archbishop thought he ought to have more for his money, and demanded 
two good geese for Id., four fat hens for Id., the first hundred of eggs 
for Id., and the second hundred for nothing 1 Well, in process of time 
Thomas a Becket became Archbishop, and tradition has handed down as a 
fact that he planted Figs brought from Italy in the Manor grounds of 
Tarring. There is no record of his residing there, but it is likely that he 
did, for, as I have stated, it was one of the estates belonging to the see,, 
was a pleasant place for retirement, and it is certain the Archbishop 
occasionally resided among the tenants of the archiepiscopal estates. 
A large room and a smaller one still existing, tradition tells, were the- 
hall and ctapel of Becket’s palace. They may have been constructed- 
of its materials, for they are very old, but their architecture is of a date- 
