Aagnst 20, 1830. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
171 
A FEW years ago, when Mr. Gladstone advocated the cultiva¬ 
tion of fruit for jam-making purposes, he appeared to be mis¬ 
understood by a considerable section of the community. He was, 
by those who thought the line a good one to take, represented as 
advising owners and occupiers of land to relinquish the cultivation 
of ordinary farm produce and “ grow jam.” Probably those who 
made the most of the subject from that point of view knew very 
well that nothing of the kind was meant, as nothing of the kind 
was said. Fruit culture for jam production was advocated as a 
•home pursuit worthy of extension, as an adjunct to, not as a 
substitute for, the usual farm crops. That speech, though 
-commented on in various ways, and to a large extent adversely, 
•as are most of the utterances of distinguished men, neverthe¬ 
less gave a great impetus to fruit culture and to the production 
of jam on a more extended scale and of better quality than 
before. 
Mr. Gladstone has again spoken, and made his meaning clear, 
•which he has often failed to do on the first attempt. He now says, 
after speaking of the advantages we as a nation possess in cheap 
sugar, that so long as it remains cheap, “ it may be said for such 
fruits as will be grown in this country that there will be an 
■appetite ; that there will be means enough for making it into 
•preserves in jams, and the world at large will have plenty of 
appetite and plenty of means of consumption of all the jam that is 
made.” Then he goes on to say, “ I do not think it is going to cause a 
revolution in the state of agriculture. Not at all. British agriculture 
must depend, not upon the smaller, but the larger culture, upon the 
production of the great staples on which mankind must live, 
because though jam is a very good thing, yet mankind would not 
live upon jam.” Those, he declares, to be his views generally, and 
really believes the whole subject is interesting and important. 
So do we, and we believe, further, that if the best is made of 
•our resources the value of our exports in the form indicated 
may soon equal, and in time exceed, the value of the imports of 
Apples that reach our markets from America and other fields of 
production. 
We do not mean by a very long way that British growers of 
fruit cannot compete far more successfully than heretofore with 
transatlantic cultivators in the supply of Apples for our markets. 
They can do so, and there is scarcely a doubt will do so as time 
goes on. We look for steady improvement in our home supplies 
when the better chosen varieties that have been, and will continue 
to be, planted come into bearing, and when the growers generally 
learn, as not a few have done, the best manner of placing their 
fruit in the markets. The negligence that has been apparent in 
■orchards during the past generation, and the loose slipshod manner 
of marketing the fruit, gave an opportunity to our competitors of 
which they took advantage both in culture, packing, and uniformity 
of samples. It is easy to abuse them for doing so, and the law for 
permitting them, but the real fault rests with the lack of effort at 
home to work on the same sound lines. The ancient trees have 
been trusted too long to supply the public want, and failed as soon 
as the produce of the young and more vigorous was placed in 
comparison. 
Purchasers do not ask, nor care, where fruit is grown. They 
No. 479.— Vol. XIX., Third Series. 
want the best and best looking for the money they invest. It is 
all very well to appeal to the patriotism of consumers, but the 
patriotism of nearly all of them is in their pockets, as it is of those 
who make this claim against them. The best samples of British 
Apples never fail to meet with a ready sale, and these excel in 
quality the best that are imported, and are very few points, if any, 
behind in appearance ; but Apple crops are prone to fail through 
weather vicissitudes. They have often been scant and unprofitable 
for four or five years together, then good seasons have followed. 
These alternations will occur again. Fruit foes, in the form of 
insects and caterpillars, may be combated, though the work may 
often be difficult ; but it is not in the power of man to prevent a 
week of rainy weather or a few nights of sharp frosts during the 
blossoming period, either of which visitations are fatal to good crop3 
of fruit. These occurrences, however, ought no more to prevent 
endeavour in growing the best Apples in abundance than ocean 
accidents should prevent ships being sent to sea because some are 
occasionally lost. The point we wish to enforce is this—if the 
best, and especially the most certain, return is to be derived from 
fruit culture reliance must not be placed on Apples alone, but soft 
or jam-making fruits should have a large share of attention. Our 
advice to all who can carry it out is to grow more of the best 
Apples, and grow more of the best small fruits too, for in these 
when well preserved we have a great and good customer in the 
“ world at large.” 
Moreover, these fruits are the easiest to grow, the quickest in 
yielding profit on outlay, and the least likely to fail in affording 
satisfactory crops. Those who have taken note of the fruit crops 
over a long series of years know that this latter statement is correct. 
During the present year the crop3, as a rule, of jam-making fruits 
have been far more profitable than Apples or Pears. There may 
be exceptions, and no doubt there are several, but after miking the 
fullest allowance they do nothing more than prove the rule. 
Experienced cultivators of fruit for market combine the two kinds, 
and they are wise. This combination can also be carried out in 
small gardens, such as Mr. Gladstone had, perhaps, mainly in view 
when addressing his audience, though his remarks had at the same 
time a much wider significance. 
The veteran statesman passed on to another subject—the trans¬ 
formation of barren Pear trees into productive Apple trees by 
grafting. His remarks were founded on a short communication 
he had discovered in the Journal of Horticulture. His discernment 
is noteworthy, for if we recollect there is nothing so precise on the 
subject in any of the previous issues of the paper over a period of 
forty-one years. Without doubt Mr. Kerl recorded his experience 
with accuracy in establishing a number of Apple scions on Pear 
stocks, and he sent us fruit from the trees. We shall be glad to 
learn more about his plantation. We have had specimens of Pears 
grown on Apple stocks, for some very good ones were sent to us 
by Mr. Samuel Stevens, F.L.S., from Upper Norwood two years ago ; 
but until last year we had not seen Apples from a Pear stock, 
though we may hope to see more. We have established Apple 
scions on Pear stocks, and they grew very well for a few years, 
then either died or were blown out, showing that the union was 
not satisfactory. Mr. F. W. Burbidge in his valuable work on 
the propagation of plants records several instances of success in 
establishing Pears on Apple stocks, some of these of several years’ 
duration, though so far as we know not one example of Apples 
bearing on Pear stocks is there recorded. It is practically certain 
since Mr. Kerl’s experience is made so widely known that 
several barren Pear trees will be cut down and grafted with Apples, 
and in time some of them may, and we hope will, bear fruit 
Something like a revolution will then be effected in the frui 
world that would perhaps meet with more general acceptance 
than some of the reforms which the right honourable gentleman 
above mentioned has been instrumental in carrying out during 
his long and active career. 
No. 2135 —Vol. LXXXL, Old Series. 
