October  3,  1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENEH 
dl9 
that  the  prize  offered  by  the  Royal  Horticultwral  Society  for  the 
best  essay  on  this  subject  was  advanced  from  £10  to  £15,  and  equally 
divided  between  Mr.  S.  T.  Wright,  gardener  to  Chas.  Lee  Campbell,  Esq., 
Glewston  Court,  Hereford,  and  Mr.  Lewis  Castle,  Manager  of  the  Duke 
of  Bedford’s  fruit  farm  at  Woburn.  It  was  decided  that  one  of  the 
papers  should  be  read  at  this  meeting,  and  that  of  the  former. was  chosen. 
Very  interesting  it  proved  to  be,  as  the  practical  experience  of  Mr. 
Wright  is  such  that  renders  him  one  of  the  best  authorities  on  profitable 
fruit  growing  in  the  country.  As  time  would  not  admit  of  the  whole  of 
the  essay  being  read  many  items  were  left  out. 
In  commencement,  the  essayist  stated  that  owing  to  great  agricultural 
depression  it  had  become  necessary  that  attention  should  be  directed  into 
channels  that  would  give  better  returns  for  capital  invested  than  ordinary 
farm  produce.  In  his  opinion  hardy  fruit  growing  seemed  to  present 
itself  as  the  best  solution  of  the  problem.  Many  arguments  were,  of 
course,  put  forward  against  it  in  the  shape  of  foreign  competition  and 
the  uncertainty  of  the  English  climate,  but  our  climate  is  no  worse  than 
that  of  many  other  countries  in  the  world,  as  the  almost  total  loss  of  the 
Orange  crop  this  year  in  Florida  proves  that  we  are  not  the  only  sufferers 
in  this  respect,  and  as  regards  foreign  competition  we  have  no  need  to 
fear,  as  samples  may  be  produced  in  England  that  are  able  to  compete 
with  any  imports  from  abroad.  With  many  farmers  of  the  present  day, 
however,  the  knowledge  of  growing  fruit  was  so  meagre,  that  to  invest 
capital  in  this  industry  would  only  result  in  failure.  The  fruit  growers 
of  the  future  must  either  be  men  possessed  with  sound  practical  know¬ 
ledge  of  the  subject,  or  capitalists  who  are  in  a  position  to  purchase  land 
and  employ  managers  to  carry  out  the  work  connected  with  it,  and  even 
in  this  case  only  men  should  be  engaged  who  have  acquired  by  experience 
a  thorough  practical  knowledge  in  their  business.  Many  gardeners  would 
doubtless  take  up  fruit  growing  as  an  occupation,  but  few  have  the 
necessary-  capital,  as  the  income  of  gardeners  generally  was  such  that 
did  not  allow  of  them  saving  much  money.  He  had,  however,  known 
cases  where  gardeners  had  taken  up  fruit  growing  and  succeeded  in 
making  a  good  living,  but  there  was  room  for  much  improvement  on  the 
way  that  fruit  is  grown,  graded,  packed,  and  sent  to  market. 
He  should  mention  Apples  first  as  being  the  king  of  fruits  for  future 
profit,  and  to  make  them  pay  they  should  be  grown  as  dwarf  trees  on 
good  soil.  Dwarf  bush  trees  have  many  advantages  over  standards, 
first  because  they  give  much  quicker  returns,  and  will  generally  pay  the 
second  year  after  planting.  The  writer  then  gave  an  instance  of  Lane’s 
Prince  Albert  (which  he  considers  one  of  the  best  market  varieties 
grown).  The  second  year’s  crop  was  sold  at  223.  per  cwt,,  and  showed  a 
net  return  of  3s.  6d.  per  tree ;  this,  of  course,  was  exceptional,  though 
the  trees  have  continued  to  bear  heavy  crops  ever  since.  Another 
advantage  gained  by  bash  trees  is  that  all  the  necessary  pruning,  gather¬ 
ing,  and  other  operations  can  be  done  from  the  ground  without  the  use 
of  ladders  ;  and  a  difficulty  with  standards  is  that  a  far  greater  amount 
of  trouble  and  labour  is  necessary  in  the  keeping  down  of  insect  pests. 
Again,  dwarf  trees  are  not  so  liable  to  suffer  from  the  effects  of  cold  and 
cutting  winds,  and  as  the  trees  are  low  wind-fallen  fruit  is  not  bruised 
to  any  extent,  as  would  be  the  case  with  tall  standards,  and  if  picked  up 
and  dispatched  without  delay  it  is  little  if  any  the  worse  ;  and,  lastly, 
the  trees  can  be  easily  gone  over  and  all  malformed  samples  picked  off, 
thus  leaving  all  those  remaining  of  one  uniform  size  and  dispensing 
with  the  necessity  of  much  grading  at  the  time  of  gathering.  This  is 
a  great  advantage,  and  the  fruit  may  be  picked  and  packed  straight 
away,  the  samples  being  good  and  even  all  through. 
Packing,  said  the  writer,  is  a  most  important  item,  and  bad  or  dis¬ 
honest  methods  cannot  be  too  severely  condemned  ;  there  is  nothing 
gained  by  such  practices  as  placing  a  few  of  the  best  samples  on  the  top 
of  the  hampers  and  inferior  fruit  underneath,  as  buyers  soon  learn  which 
is  honestly  packed  and  otherwise,  and  purchase  accordingly.  For 
standard  trees  he  considers  those  on  the  Crab  stock  to  be  the  best,  while 
for  dwarfs  the  Paradite  stock  is  preferable.  The  latter  commence  to 
give  returns  the  second  year,  and  this  will  be  continued  over  a  period  of 
at  least  twenty  years.  The  writer  had  planted  such  trees  9  feet  apart, 
or  539  trees  to  the  acre,  though  he  considered  435  would  be  ample. 
Standards  should  be  planted  24  feet  apart,  requiring  seventy-five  trees 
per  acre.  Next  to  Apples  he  considered  Plums  to  be  one  of  the  most 
profitable  crops  for  market,  but  the  land  must  be  well  adapted  for  the 
growth  of  the  trees,  and  an  abundance  of  support  in  the  shape  of 
manure  is  necessary,  as  strong,  well-fed  trees  are  better  able  to  with¬ 
stand  frost.  In  some  districts  we  hear  of  seasons  when  prices  are  so 
low  that  the  fruit  is  scarcely  worth  picking,  but  the  writer  could  quote 
a  season  when  Plums  were  cheap,  when  he  received  £176  for  an  acre  of 
Victorias,  which  he  considered  the  best  market  variety,  and  ranked  next 
to  Apples.  With  reference  to  manures  that  from  the  farmyard  could 
not  always  be  obtained,  therefore  chemical  fertilisers  had  to  be  used ; 
these  he  considered  to  be  equally  as  good,  as  for  the  last  ten  years  the 
trees  under  his  charge  had  received  none  but  chemical  manure  with  the 
very  best  results.  The  mode  of  gathering  Plums  depends  a  great  deal  on 
the  distance  they  are  from  the  market ;  if  somewhat  close  the  fruit  may 
be  left  until  fairly  ripe  before  it  is  gathered  ;  but  if  the  market,  as  in 
his  case,  is  140  miles  away,  gathering  must  be  done  before  the  fruit 
becomes  too  soft.  Plums  are  best  packed  in  half  sieves,  containing 
18  or  20  lbs.  of  fruit,  resting  on  hay  or  bracken,  clean  paper  should  line 
the  baskets,  and  cover  the  fruit,  then  a  little  more  hay  or  bracken  on 
the  top  ;  fruit  packed  in  this  way  had  travelled  a  long  distance  without 
any  damage  being  done  to  it.  With  reference  to  grading  it  was  a 
mistake  to  pack  all  together,  as  the  small  and  large  should  be  marketed 
separately. 
In  dealing  with  Pears,  the  writer  said  he  considered  these  to  be  a 
very  uncertain  crop  for  paying,  as  they  were  somewhat  fastidious  as  to 
soil  and  locality,  and  were  so  liable  to  suffer  from  early  frosts.  Where, 
however,  the  trees  grow  well  they  are  doubtless  a  paying  crop,  especially 
with  such  varieties  as  will  keep  up  till  Christmas.  He  also  thought 
that  stewing  varieties  would  give  good  returns,  as  for  these  the  demand 
WAS  evidently  increasing.  With  regard  to  packing  and  consigning 
the  former  remarks  were  applicable,  and  under  favourable  conditions 
Pears  would  prove  remunerative,  though  he  considered  them  somewhat 
uncertain.  Cherries  were  next  taken,  and  in  regard  to  these,  said  the 
essayist,  we  have  little  or  no  cause  to  fear  foreign  competition,  as  those 
imported  are  so  much  inferior  to  home-grown  produce.  Kent,  however, 
held  the  monopoly  of  Cherry  culture,  and  this  he  was  surprised  at,  con¬ 
sidering  that  in  the  West  of  England  there  were  thousands  of  acres 
of  land  thoroughly  adapted  for  growing  Cherries,  where  the  fruit  could 
be  sold  at  remunerative  prices  in  the  markets  of  the  great  Northern  and 
Midland  towns.  Only  one  variety  should  be  grown  in  an  orchard,  owing 
to  the  ravages  caused  by  birds,  and  these,  all  ripening  at  once,  can  be 
gathered  at  the  same  time.  Two  kinds  only  are  necessary — namely,  one 
good  early  and  one  good  late  variety,  and  after  paying  all  expenses  in 
an  average  season  a  net  return  of  £30  per  acre  may  be  obtained. 
Turning  to  bush  fruits  Mr.  Wright  considers  that  these  pay  best  with 
small  growers,  and  amongst  others  Black  Currants  may  be  looked  on  as  the 
most  profitable  crop,  but  to  grow  them  well  the  land  requires  thoroughly 
draining  and  should  be  situated  in  a  warm  aspect.  All  the  old  wood 
must  be  kept  well  cut  out  of  the  trees,  so  as  to  give  every  encourage¬ 
ment  to  the  young  growth.  Trees  on  good  soil  in  a  suitable  situation 
will,  when  well  established,  give  a  return  of  3  tons  per  acre,  which  can 
readily  be  sold  at  £22  per  ton,  and  after  picking,  marketing,  and  other 
expenses  have  been  paid  a  net  profit  of  £54  per  acre  remains.  A  great 
point  in  favour  of  Black  Currant  culture  is  that  there  is  nothing  to  fear 
in  the  shape  of  foreign  competition.  Red  and  White  Currants,  though 
not  greatly  in  demand,  pay  fairly  well,  and  of  the  former  Rabv  Castle  is 
the  best  kind  to  grow,  and  good  fruit  sells  readily  at  about  3d.  per  lb. 
Raspberries,  in  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  are  a  very  profitable  crop,  but 
where  largely  grown  the  picking  question  is  often  a  difficult  one,  and 
they  should  only  be  cultivated  in  such  localities  where  pickers  can  be 
obtained,  as  the  fruit  spoil?  if  not  gathered  when  just  ripe.  Foreign 
competition  does  not  affect  this  fruit,  and  it  can  be  picked  wet  or  dry 
and  sent  to  market  in  small  tubs.  These  should  not  be  filled  quite  full, 
so  as  to  allow  a  little  room  for  the  juice  that  escapes  from  the  fruit 
rising  to  the  surface,  and  a  clean  sheet  of  paper  must  be  fastened  over 
the  top  of  the  tub.  Above  all  extreme  cleauliness,  both  in  picking  and 
packing,  should  be  insisted  on  ;  £50  per  ton  is  about  the  highest  price 
obtained,  and  the  lowest  about  £20.  Three  tons  per  acre  may  be 
obtained  in  a  good  season,  and  taken  altogether  Rrspberries  may  be 
considered  to  give  good  returns. 
Gooseberries  are  a  most  reliable  and  profitable  crop,  though  with 
these  there  is  a  strong  foreign  competition,  as  large  quantities  of 
superior  fruit  are  annually  imported  from  France,  and  the  best  kinds  to 
compete  with  them  are  Whinham’s  Industry  and  Keepsake,  both  excellent 
for  gathering  in  a  green  state.  They  will  realise  a  price  of  253.  (?)  per 
cwt.,  and  after  allowing  expenses  a  net  return  of  £20  per  acre  may  be 
reckoned  on.  With  reference  to  Strawberries,  the  writer  asserts  that 
their  cultivation  has  extensively  increased  during  late  years,  and  the 
demand  must  have  advanced  at  the  same  rate,  as  prices  generally  keep 
up  as  well  as  when  less  were  grown.  Another  point  in  their  favour  is 
that  comparatively  little  skill  is  required  in  their  culture.  When 
speaking  of  varieties  he  said  that  Royal  Sovereign  was  becoming  a 
universal  favourite  for  growing  for  market,  and  had  doubtless  a  great 
future  before  it.  The  average  price  obtained  was  £20  per  ton,  and 
the  return  per  acre  was  about  2  tons,  though  many  might  consider 
this  a  very  low  average,  as  much  heavier  crops  had  been  recorded  ; 
but  even  at  the  above  rate  Strawberries  might  be  considered  a  good 
paying  crop. 
Mr.  Wright  considers  that  too  much  importance  cannot  be  attached 
to  the  grading  and  packing  of  fruits,  especially  Apples,  Pears,  and 
Plums.  On  these  points  there  is  still  room  for  vast  improvements.  All 
these  fruits  should  be  sorted  into  three  divisions,  and  marked  1,  2,  3  or 
A,  B,  C,  and  on  no  account  should  any  of  these  be  mixed,  but  all  sent  to 
market  separately,  and  above  all  things  perfect  cleanliness  should  be 
strictly  enforced, 'as  buyers  know  well  what  they  are  purchasing,  and 
the  highest  prices  are  always  obtained  for  first-rate  samples.  With  soft 
fruits  the  earliest  supplies  should  be  sent  to  market  in  punnets,  and  the 
later  in  larger  quantities. 
With  regard  to  manure  the  essayist  asserts  that  fruit  growers  must 
use  it,  and  where  obtainable  farmyard  mioiire  at  the  rate  of  about 
20  tons  per  acre  is  good,  but  many  grow’ers  experienced  much  difficulty 
in  obtaining  farmyard  manure,  and  therefore  chemicals  had  to  be 
resorted  to.  He  had  proved  from  experience  that  the  very  best  results 
could  be  obtained  by  the  use  of  chemical  manure,  and  for  light  land  a 
mixture  of  3  cwts.  of  muriate  of  potash  and  5  cwts.  of  superphosphate  of 
lime  per  acre  had  proved  most  beneficial,  and  for  heavy  land  5  cwts.  of 
bonemeal  per  acre.  The  study  of  insect  pests,  he  said,  required  much 
attention,  but  the  limit  of  the  essay  did  not  allow  of  them  being  dealt 
with. 
An  interesting  discussion  followed,  in  which  Messrs.  C.  Lee-Campbell, 
J.  Wright  (who  announced  that  Dr.  Hogg  had  decided  to  give  a  large 
silver  medal  to  the  essayist,  and  also  to  Mr.  L.  Castle),  G  G  )rdori,  J.  Cheal, 
and  others  took  part,  and  regrets  were  expressed  of  the  unavoidable 
absence  through  illness  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Society,  the  Rev.  W. 
Wilks,  whose  interest  in  the  great  show  is  too  well  known  to  need  any 
further  comments  here. 
