1S75. ] 
HIGH-PRICED MEAT-FRUIT TO THE RESCUE. 
31 
—rise, may be, higher. It is the old, old tale of political economy, one bullock, with 
two, five, perhaps a dozen purchasers after it. It is equally obvious there are 
but two ways of bringing down prices,—an augmented supply or a lesser demand. 
There is but little hope of the former, in fact, none, and relief can only come 
through the latter by a gradual change of foods. 
No doubt the food habits of nations are about the most difficult things 
possible to alter, yet are they very much things of habit. One nation or people 
eats meats chiefly, another rice, a third bread and vegetables, a fourth fruit, and 
so on. Even within a generation Great Britain has changed its food-habits very 
sensibly, and cast them much more into a meat channel. It seems therefore 
possible that these habits might again be so changed as to remove some of the 
strain from the meat-market, and allow prices to rule lower. 
As one step in this direction, I would advocate the growth of more and 
better fruit. If we are growing more meat, we are also assuredly growing less 
common fruit than formerly. I do not say we are eating less. Doubtless we 
are eating more, for an enormous trade in fruit has sprung up with France and 
other European nations, and also with America, during the past quarter of a 
century. Neither has there been any difficulty in disposing of any amount of 
good fruit at paying prices; but if more was grown at home, doubtless still 
more would be eaten. And more ought to be grown. There are waste walls, 
roofs, and fences, profitless railway-slopes, and useless pollards enough, to afford 
suitable space for growing ten times the fruit we do at present. Now, as many 
such areas are now totally unproductive, this increased cultivation of fruit would 
bring more of it of better quality within reach of all classes. 
Recent advances in horticulture, the cheapness of glass, and the wonderful 
multiplication of glass structures, will also tend to popularise the use of fruit. 
Grapes are now grown in all directions by the ton, and Peaches, Nectarines, 
Plums, Pears, Melons, Pines, &c., in enormous quantities. These are consumed 
in greater bulk by the higher and middle-classes. And as fashions in regard to 
diet mostly travel downwards, it is pleasing to note that the current has set in 
in favour of more fruit and less meat. The changes in the arrangements of the 
dinner-table of late years—the high place assigned to art and beauty, and fruit 
and flowers, and the comparatively secondary place given to meat—is a symbol 
and proof that we are approaching, by slow but sure degrees, a fruit diet. 
A fruit diet !—that is the next step ; and when that is reached, the tightness 
in the meat market will begin to slacken. Hitherto the effects of our increased 
consumption of fruit have told but little on the prices of other articles of food, 
and chiefly for this reason—most of the fruit consumed has been an extra, 
something over and above what was necessary, a pleasure to the palate after the 
serious business of dining has ended. Fruit so eaten is often worse than wasted , 
and results in the consumption of less fruit than before. It disagrees with other 
food, and creates an unjust prejudice against the wholesomeness of fruit for 
food. Make a meal of Grapes, Apples, Pears, Plums, Cherries, Peaches, 
