Angust 6, 189 L ] 
103 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
selves, or in providing trees for their cottagers to plant, and by 
encouraging the latter they would also be improving the value of 
their estates. The cost of carriage to markets was also touched 
W HEN held in conjunction with local or other horticultural 
shows it is evident that conferences and discussions upon 
appropriate topics afford additional attractions of considerable 
interest, and can also be rendered the means of disseminating much 
useful information. If any doubt existed upon this point it would 
have been effectually dispelled by a visit to the Conference, 
arranged by the British Fruit Growers’ Association, to be held in 
conjunction with the Beddington, Carshalton, and Wallington 
Horticultural Society’s annual Show in Beddington Park on 
Monday last, August 3rd. More unfavourable weather could 
scarcely have prevailed, heavy thunderstorms, with torrents of 
rain, continued throughout the afternoon, yet a large and appre¬ 
ciative audience was secured, and the tent was crowded until the 
termination of the proceedings. In this respect, in the temperate 
and generous tone of the speeches, the practical character of 
the advice tendered, and the local interest awakened in the 
matter, the gathering must be chronicled as fully successful, 
and the promoters achieved the objects they bad in view. 
The special intention was to bring the subject of fruit culture 
before the numerous cottagers and allotment holders in the district, 
to point out to them the advantages that would result from due 
attention to the matter, the best modes of proceeding in the work, 
and the difficulties to be expected. It is obviously impossible to 
teach all that is requisite to success in one meeting of this kind, 
but when once the interest is awakened, and desirability of 
advancing is perceived, progress becomes comparatively easy, and 
plenty of willing helpers can be found to aid those in need of 
advice. In many rural districts the condition of the cottagers and 
labourers has been materially improved by the encouragement 
extended to their efforts in fruit and vegetable culture. Plenty of 
instances could be given where the fruit produce alone is made to 
pay the annual rent of the cottage, besides yielding a supply of 
fruit for home use, either fresh or preserved. Several speakers at 
the Conference in question touched upon this aspect of the subject, 
and its importance is fully recognised by all who are concerned 
in the welfare of the working population of rural districts. 
Referring briefly to the proceedings at Beddington Park, it 
must be said that the Chairman, Sir Jame3 Whitehead, Bart., 
dealt in his opening address with the subject of fruit culture 
most fairly and thoroughly. Special reference was made to the 
efforts of the Royal Horticultural Society, the Fruiterers’ Com¬ 
pany, and the British Fruit Growers’ Association in the direction 
of inducing greater interest in the matter. A letter was read 
from the President of the first-named Society expressing approval 
of the active work of the Fruiterers’ Company. The Chairman 
also pointed to the fact of his presiding at that meeting as a 
sufficient indication of his own goodwill towards the British Fruit 
Growers’ Association, and he considered that they could all work 
in harmony for a common cause, either in combination or sepa¬ 
rately. He complimented the Association upon the work they 
had accomplished for so small an expenditure, and expressed good 
hopes for the future. 
Turning to other matters, special emphasis was placed upon 
the desirability of avoiding anything of a political tendency in 
purely social questions of such a character. Much help could 
undoubtedly be rendered by landlords in planting fruit trees them- 
upon, and several serious anomalies were mentioned, notably in the 
heavy charges of cartage from terminal railway stations to the 
markets as compared with the rates per ton from station to station. 
Instances were given where the cartage rates by the railway 
companies are four or five times in excess of the ordinary carriers’ 
rates, and it was mentioned that the recent re-arrangement of 
railway rates did not include cartage, so that much remained to 
be done in that respect. 
So wide a scope did the Chairman cover in his address that 
some subsequent speakers confessed that he had left little for them 
to say on general topics, and Mr. T. Francis Rivers, who followed, 
confined his remarks to a brief considei’ation of the aspects of 
foreign competition in relation to home growers. 
Then came Mr. J. Wright wfith “ Object Lessons for Cottagers and 
Allotment Holders,” upon which he discoursed in a lucid and prac¬ 
tical manner, and, illustrated as it was by diagrams, the subject was 
brought before the audience in the best possible way. Time only 
permitted reference to Strawberries, Raspberries, and Gooseberries ; 
but defective and correct methods of planting, pruning, and general 
culture were clearly indicated, and many useful hints given 
for the guidance of the inexperienced. In concluding he read a 
letter from a tenant, in which a simple method of dealing with the 
difficulties arising from planting fruit trees was mentioned, the 
custom being for the incoming tenant to pay a valuation for trees 
planted by the former occupier, or for the landlord to take them in 
the same way and then charge it to the new tenant. The plan 
had answered so well that it had raised the value of the land 
enormously. 
“ How to Encourage Fruit Culture amongst Small Farmers and 
Cottagers ” was the next subject, which was taken up by Mr. 
G. Hammond, an extensive fruit farmer in Essex, and treated in a 
very thorough manner. The difficulties in relation to land tenure 
were pointed out, the necessity of securing the landlord’s co¬ 
operation and consent was dwelt upon, also the desirability of 
adopting the custom of valuation for tenants’ improvements for 
work of this kind. Continuing, Mr. Hammond said :—■ 
“ As to the amount of profit to be made by growing fruit, many 
wild and extravagant statements have appeared, wffiich only tend 
to mislead and disappoint. I would not like to say that these 
statements were untrue, but I do say that it is not fair to draw 
inferences and make calculations based upon what must be mani¬ 
festly abnormal results. What this Association has said and what 
it still maintains is this, ‘ That with a proper selection of sorts 
suitable for each district, together with careful and attentive 
culture, a reasonable return may be confidently expected, quite 
sufficient to justify many in incurring the necessary expense of 
planting.’ 
“ Another obstacle seems to be the want of information 
amongst farmers and cottagers generally upon this subject. Some 
say, ‘We would grow fruit if we only knew what sorts to grow, 
and how to plant and prune the trees.’ I am glad to know that 
much has been done by this Association during the last three years, 
and also by the Fruiterers’ Company to disseminate this informa¬ 
tion amongst these classes, but much still remains to be done, and 
it seems to be that one of the best means of doing this, by holding 
exhibitions similar to that held here to-day, and by taking 
advantage of these shows to hold conferences for the purpose of 
spreading reliable information respecting fruit culture. 
“ We are greatly indebted to A. H. Smee, Esq., and others for 
the promotion of this Show and Conference, and if many more 
occupying similar positions would manifest the same interest and 
arrange for holding conferences and discussions upon this subject 
in connection with local shows throughout the country much would 
very soon be accomplished. If would also be well if landowners 
and agents, stewards and bailiffs, gave more attention to fruit 
culture, and possessed themselves of information resps cting it, that 
they might be able to advise such of their tenants as w r ere desirous 
of entering upon it as to proper kinds to plant in their particular 
districts, and I am fully persuaded that landowneis will find it to 
be distinctly to their advantage thus to encourage the growth of 
No. 580.— Vol. XXIII., Third Series. 
No. 2236.— Vol. LXXXV., Old Seribs. 
