240 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
I September 13,18S8. 
not profitably sell while fresh the yield of their orchards, and are driven 
to seek other outlets in order to secure even a nominal return for their 
crops. It must be borne in mind that the circumstances and conditions 
that surround individual growers and consumers vary very largely, and 
courses of procedure that would bring advantageous results in one 
direction would be inappreciable in another. 
With growers we have a wide range of conditions to deal with, from 
the owners of the numerous old orchards of large acreage to which little 
or no attention is given, to the cultivators of small quantities of choice 
fruits under glass or in the hothouse, which are the subject of incessant 
care and watchfulness. 
With consumers we also have an infinite number of conditions which 
embodies a still wider range of thought, for from the wealthy members 
of the upper classes who require, and will have at all times if procurable, 
for their tables regardless of cost, any fruits that may be rare, choice, 
and of fine quality, to the buxom matron who buys a couple of pounds 
of whatever fruit the costermonger may have on his barrow, so that her 
husband’s and family’s dinner may be complete with its dumpling or 
pie. Every variety of condition has to be met with and provided for, 
therefore it must be evident that the more these existing and varied 
circumstances are understood, and the nearer they can be met and pro¬ 
vided for, the greater must be the benefits that will accrue to fruit 
producers. It is in the study of the numerous features that present 
themselves, and the determination of the most advantageous manner in 
which they can be encountered and dealt with, that comprises the science 
of fruit distribution. This opportunity does not enable me to enlarge 
upon the whole of the subjects which are naturally affiliated with the 
question, therefore I content myself by indicating the directions to 
which attention may be advantageously given. 
With respect to the first point—viz., the disposal of fruits, when and 
where they may be required. I would point out to growers that with the 
exception of the county of Kent and the Metropolis, the centres of 
fruit production and fruit consumption are not contiguous to each 
other. By an inspection of the diagram of the kingdom, showing the 
population and the fruit area of each county, it will be seen that the 
bulk of our fruit supply is produced in a very few districts, while a 
large portion of the country which is densely populated is devoid of any 
fruit produce of their own locality but rely upon other districts, and 
that the people gladly purchase any quantity of fruit that may be 
brought to them in good order and condition. That this position is un¬ 
deniable may be gathered from the results that have attended the 
efforts of a few private parties who have relinquished the old practice of 
sending to the markets of Covent Garden, the Borough, and Spitalfields, 
and despatch their fruits instead to Manchester, Bradford, Leeds, Glasgow, 
and other largely populated northern towns, where they have made a 
profitable outlet for a large quantity of fruit that otherwise would have 
helped to glut the London markets. There are an enormous number 
of small towns in the mining and manufacturing districts that would 
welcome a supply of fresh fruit which they do not now obtain. In 
order to directly meet the requirements of these towns it is desirable 
that the fruit growers of each district combine with each other and 
organise themselves into local societies in order that they may be 
in a proper position to ascertain what fruits they have to sell, when 
they will be ready for gathering, and then ascertain the requirements 
of particular districts and what they are likely to buy, so as to 
enable them to take steps to supply them. It is not possible to 
attain this position by individual action, for no single grower could 
supply from his own crops the particular requirements of the traders of 
a town, but these requirements if once ascertained, which they may be 
in a general sense, could be furnished from the crops of several growers. 
Where local organisations are thus formed they could readily com¬ 
municate with the central organisation that has been formed to place 
itself in communication with the traders of all districts, in order to 
simplify the distribution of food products, and they by ascertaining the 
probable fruit requirements of a district, and having a knowledge of the 
crops of fruit that were available in many localities, could arrange to 
dispose of and deliver them direct from the orchards. The defect that 
fruit-growers suffer from arises from the fact that while their 
transactions are naturally of an individual character, and must remain 
so, they have had no recognised central representative organisation who 
could collect information from varied districts as to their possible fruit 
requirements, and disseminate the knowledge among those who had the 
fruit to dispose of, and also arrange many other subjects of interest and 
importance, such as packages, railway rates, transmission, &c., all 
matters small in themselves and readily adjustable, but each of which 
forms an indispensable connecting link in a commercial chain, without 
which a transaction cannot be carried through. Hitherto fruit growers 
have left everything with their salesmen, whose interest it is to collect 
and retain all the information, and to obstruct any course by which 
the consignment of the fruit to themselves would be interfered with. 
They therefore have a vested interest in obstructing any movement 
that would have a tendency to impart to growers any information 
that would advise them when and where fruit was required, which is. 
the keystone to the system of direct distribution. 
The second prominent feature incidental to scientific distribution is 
the delivery to consumers just what they want in the best possible 
condition. The interests of sellers will be considerably advanced by 
full attention being given to this subject, which presents many features 
requiring careful consideration and forethought, that without in any 
way adding to the costs of cultivation and delivery may materially aid 
to increase the amounts receivable for the fruits. 
Be it remembered that no fruits grow exactly all alike, the same as 
bricks are made, but every tree or bush will contain some fruits of a 
more or less choice character. Wherever these can be selected they will 
if packed by themselves realise a much larger proportionate price- 
without interfering with the price of the whole crop. There are dif¬ 
ferent classes of buyers in all perishable food products, and more- 
especially in fruits, and there are different members in each trade who 
supply the requirements of buyers. Anyone going into an average sized 
orchard when the fruit is ripe and ready for gathering will, upon exami¬ 
nation, discover choice specimens fit for an exhibition or the window of 
the highest class fruiterers at the West End of London. Other fruits 
may be seen that, by themselves, would furnish a reasonable supply of 
more than a general character. Further, there will be seen the 
remainder of the growth suitable for the costermonger’s barrow or the jam 
pot. If they remain while the fruit is gathered they will see it all 
packed together in such a way that no regard is paid to the choice 
specimens of fruit that may be there, but they are so dealt with that 
they will all find their way to one destination, which, as likely as not, 
may be the costermonger’s barrow. This is the mistake that growers- 
make, and where they unknowingly suffer material loss. 
The disposal of green fruits is necessarily a matter of commercial 
experience, and to attain best results all fruits should be properly 
assorted and classed as to character, condition, and description—this in 
America is called “ grading.” Fruits thus dealt with and placed in¬ 
packages of a uniform size enjoy a marked advantage in their disposal, 
as buyers at a distance may order them by description, while at present 
they can only be purchased by personal attendance and sight. The- 
South of Ireland and the North of Scotland furnish examples of the 
great value attaching to the proper classification of perishable 
produce, for it is to the independent branding of butter at Cork and 
herrings at Wick and the other Scotch fishing ports, that have brought 
the trades of those districts to their present high stage of development,, 
for it is owing to the facility which the storekeeper in the colonial bush- 
can send to his merchant in London for what he requires in Cork butter, 
e’ther in firsts, second, thirds, or fourths, knowing exactly what he will 
get, and can learn the current market price on the day of purchase. 
Equally the same the grocer of an inland town in eastern Europe can 
send to his Hamburgh agent for so many barrels of Scotch herrings, and 
can order “Crown Fulls,” “ Spents,” or “Matties,” and his exact 
requirements are supplied owing to the wise precautions those in 'the- 
Scotch herring trade have adopted, by which not only are the character 
of the contents of their barrels known by description all over the world, 
but the single fisherman with his few barrels of herrings enjoys an equal 
position with the largest factor of the district, and can readily obtain- 
the market price of the day for his small supply when they have once- 
been examined and branded by the appointed officials. This should 
show fruit growers the advisability of their combining for the purpose- 
of establishing a definite basis upon which their produce should be 
classed and uniformly packed, by which the contents of a package would 
be known to wholesale and retail dealers without a personal inspection. 
For this purpose fruits should be properly sorted and classed as to 
character and condition into—■ 
1st, “ Choice,” for special high-class trade ; “ Prime,” for first-class- 
trade ; and “ Ordinary,” for general trade. 
2nd, Assorted as to description into firsts, seconds, and thirds sizes. 
3rd, Choice and Prime fruits should be packed into clean, bright, and 
carefully made packages, so as to present to the buyer a luscious, at¬ 
tractive, and tempting appearance. Ordinary fruit may be packed for 
general sale in smaller baskets than at present. 
4th, It is important to act on the principle that the smaller the. 
package the wider the area of consumption, and the better the contents, 
will keep in good order and condition. 
5th, Also that selection as to size and colour with regular packing. 
