364 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  17,  1895. 
to  be  eaten  ;  the  other,  which  is  special,  for  showing  and  winning 
prizes.  At  some  shows  they  must  be  as  large  as  possible  and 
otherwise  good,  or  they  will  have  no  chance  of  winning  prizes.  At 
other  shows  gigantic  size  is  not  a  necessity,  but  they  must  be  as 
near  faultless  in  quality  as  they  can  be  presented,  while  large 
enough  to  be  useful.  It  is  a  question  of  local  or  provincial  custom 
which  has,  no  doubt,  to  a  large  extent  been  established  by  the 
standard  of  excellence  which  certain  judges  have  set  up  for  them¬ 
selves  and  thus  influenced,  as  it  must  of  necessity  influence,  exhi¬ 
bitors.  Those  exhibitions  in  which  the  officiating  judges  have  a 
strong  leaning  towards  superiority  in  quality  of  the  products  for 
the  best  culinary  purposes,  and  where  it  would  almost  seem  as  if 
they  kept  in  view  the  amount  those  products  would  realise  as  the 
choicest  obtainable  in  Covent  Garden,  are  remarkable  for  the 
superb  finish  and  tempting  appearance  of  the  prize  vegetables  ; 
while  where  prodigious  size  is  regarded  as  a  primary  element  the 
collections  are  altogether  heavier,  highly  imposing,  and  represent 
a  large  amount  of  cultural  skill,  industry,  and  (in  comparison 
with  their  actual  value)  outlay  in  their  production.  These  gigantic 
and,  in  more  than  mere  size,  splendid  vegetables,  for  many  of 
them  are  admirably  smooth,  fresh,  and  clean,  may  be  regarded  as 
analogous  in  their  way  to  highly  fed  animals  at  the  Smithfield 
show — mountains  of  flesh  ;  but  having  regard  to  their  cost  in  pro¬ 
duction  are  not,  on  the  whole,  directly  commercial  successes, 
though  indirectly  they  pay  some  of  their  owners  in  the  way  of 
advertisements.  But  even  the  overfed  monstrosities  alluded  to 
are  no  longer  seen  as  they  once  were,  or  if  seen  not  honoured. 
The  questions  of  cost  in  production  and  ultimate  object  are  now 
considered  by  adjudicators,  and  firmness,  symmetry,  superb  quality 
with  adequate  size  are  the  prime  essentials,  and  overfeeding  a 
defect. 
Now  are  there  no  glaringly  overfed  vegetables  which  are 
honoured  with  prizes — vegetables  which  have  cost  more  of  time 
and  labour  on  the  part  of  the  growers  of  them,  and  of  capital 
on  the  part  of  the  owners,  than  they  are  worth — vegetables  which 
the  said  owners  would  not  eat,  and  many  of  which  never  are  eaten, 
at  least  by  human  beings  ?  I'hat  has  certainly  been  the  case  with 
many  which  I  have  laboured  to  grow  ;  and  though  I  think  I  can 
safely  say  the  majority  of  them  won  prizes,  I  cannot  help  feeling 
that  some  of  those  prizes  were  scarcely  deserved.  The  vegetables 
were  often  too  large  to  please  me,  as  being  rank  through  liquid 
manuring,  but  the  particular  show  had  to  be  considered,  and  to  win 
was  the  great  objective.  I  thought  then,  or  thirty  years  ago,  that 
regard  should  be  had  to  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  products  for 
consumption,  and  I  cannot  resist  the  conviction  that  this  should  be 
a  primary  element  now  ;  indeed,  perhaps  more  than  in  the  past, 
when  the  commercial  aspects  of  cultivation  in  private  gardens  is 
more  considered  now  than  in  bygone  years.  Still,  discrimination 
has  to  be  exercised.  There  were  no  such  gigantic  Onions  in  the 
past  as  are  now  plentiful,  and  in  these  it  is  said  that  size  enhances 
their  intrinsic  value.  Be  this  as  it  may.  Cauliflowers  with  even  a 
suspicion  of  springing,  and  in  the  least  discoloured,  bear  the  stamp 
of  inferiority,  be  they  large  or  small,  while  Carrots  and  Beet,  fully 
large  enough  for  cows,  and  Potatoes  unless  mashed  too  large  for 
pigs,  can  scarcely  be  regarded  as  the  most  perfect  examples 
of  their  kinds  for  human  consumption.  My  inclinations,  then, 
trend  more  and  more  for  superiority  in  quality,  and  though  I  may 
be  behind  the  times,  I  think  the  highest  possible  quality  should 
have  the  first  consideration  in  determining  the  value  of  anything 
that  is  grown  for  human  food,  while  at  the  same  time  the 
products  should  be  large  enough  to  represent  the  greatest  com¬ 
mercial  value,  and  this  does  not  pertain  to  dainty  little  examples 
which  are  often  preferred  for  certain  culinary  purposes.  I  know 
nothing  of  what  the  R.H.S.  is  doing,  but  whether  little  or  much, 
the  Committee  appears  to  move  slowly.  I  should  have  thought 
the  report  would  have  been  out  before  now.  I  may  be  all  out 
of  date  when  it  comes,  but  still  am  bound  to  give  my  honest 
opinions  on  the  subject. — Ex-Exhibitor. 
BRITISH  FRUIT  AND  ITS  CHARACTER. 
In  comparing  home-grown  fruit  with  foreign  produce  there  are 
times  when  the  crucial  point  of  criticism,  on  which  the  verdict 
turns,  shows  a  balance  in  favour  of  sunnier  climes.  With  few 
exceptions  the  method  by  which  this  calculation  is  arrived  at  is 
misleading,  and  tends  to  a  perversion  of  the  truth.  Possibly  out 
of  this  evil  has  come  good,  and  the  continual  spurring  has  goaded 
on  the  British  producer  to  the  present  stage  of  excellence — a  stage 
at  which  there  is  no  sign  of  halting.  Obviously  there  are  internal 
causes  sufficient  to  produce  this  effect,  but  there  are  reasons  which 
lead  up  to  these  remarks,  one  of  which  is  the  import  door  of  our 
markets  we  have  yet  failed  to  close  ;  the  other  reason  is  that  by 
which  occasionally  instances  are  noted  of  foreign  intelligence  being 
held  up  for  our  example,  and  this  latter  appears  to  me  as  unfair  as 
it  is  unnecessary. 
That  we  may  not  produce  sufficient  for  our  wants,  or  if  produced 
in  quantity  our  foreign  friends  are  able  to  anticipate  or  extend  our 
short  seasons,  is  readily  admitted.  But  quantity,  which  is  always 
desirable  when  limited  to  a  purpose,  can  only  take  second  place  to 
quality  under  the  highest  criticism  it  is  —  and  possible  for  it 
to  be — submitted  to.  In  order  to  arrive  at  a  proper  estimate 
of  our  powers  and  position  as  fruit  growers  we  can  justly  allow 
for  the  benefits  which  abundant  supplies  confer  on  the  public 
at  large. 
Foreign  fruit  is  appreciated  by  the  many,  and  by  some  is 
praised  to  the  deprecation  of  home  produce  ;  but  this  by  a  little 
comparative  analysis  is  easily  dispersed.  These  imports  are  seldom 
subjected  to  the  higher  authorities  on  the  matter — the  judgment, 
which  from  the  circumstances  attending  it,  is,  to  my  mind,  the 
most  severe  of  practical  tests.  At  first  sight  this  judgment  by 
experts  will  suggest  the  ordeal  of  competition  on  the  exhibition 
tables,  for  which  the  opportunity  never,  or  but  seldom,  occurs.  If 
it  was  done,  then,  for  those  most  interested,  it  would  settle  the 
matter  conclusively. 
The  senses  are  peculiarly  biassed  by  existing  circumstances,  and 
impressions  thus  derived,  though  distorted,  are  difficult  to  eradicate. 
For  instance,  an  Anglo-Indian  or  other  tropical  traveller  will  hark 
back  to  his  keen  enjoymentwhenahuge  Water  Melon  or  other  watery 
fruit  was  discussed  under  a  shade  temperature  of  120° ;  but  place 
I  the  same  fruit  on  the  dessert  table  in  juxtaposition  with  our  own 
'  production,  the  comparison  is  not  only  invidious  but  all  com- 
I  parison  ends.  Only  in  size  or  appearance  is  rivalry  permissible, 
and  though  we  cannot  afford  to  disparage  the  importance  of  these 
points,  flavour  without  coarseness  must  be  the  predominating 
element  of  quality  provided  for  this  criticism — the  cold-blooded 
criticism,  I  venture  to  call  it — to  which  our  handiwork  is 
I  subjected. 
;  At  ore  place  where  our  Pears,  gathered  from  the  walls,  attained 
the  highest  degree  of  excellence,  comprising,  as  they  did,  the  finest 
'  varieties  grown  under  the  most  favourable  conditions,  my  attention 
was  called  to  the  glowing  description  given  by  a  scion  of  the  family, 
who  was  then  stationed  in  the  West  Indies,  of  the  Avocado  Pear, 
Persea  gratissima.  Fruits  of  this  so-called  Pear  were  eventually 
sent  home  for  endorsement  of  Ihe  high  opinion,  and  probably 
!  could  they  have  been  served  up  under  the  torrid  conditions  of  a 
I  West  Indian  sun  their  character  would  have  been  established,  for 
there  is  always  attraction  in  novelty  ;  as  it  was  the  “  gratissima  ” 
was  a  misnomer.  Needless  to  add  that  comparative  lines  could  not 
be  fairly  drawn  between  fruits  of  distinct  species,  but  the  moral 
is  clear. 
Are  there,  indeed,  any  good  examples  of  British-grown  fruits, 
hardy  or  exotic,  but  what  stand  far  and  away  ahead  of  imported 
samples  ?  Bearing  in  mind  the  skill  and  energy  necessary  to  cir¬ 
cumvent  the  vagaries  of  our  climate,  results  are  such  as  to  place 
the  British  gardener  on  a  high  pedestal.  On  this  head  the  fact 
may  be  noted  that  whilst  many  men,  and  good  men,  are  waiting 
in  our  large  nurseries  for  situations,  that  many  good  posts 
are  filled  privately  over  the  dinner  table  (dessert  table)  by 
gastronomic  influence  solely,  for  “The  proof  of  the — fruit  is  in 
the  eating.” 
With  a  desire  to  avoid  partiality,  one  instance  in  which  the 
distant  shores  appear  to  have  practically  ousted  an  important 
English-grown  fruit  from  the  dessert  table  must  be  noted.  This  is 
that  noble  fruit  the  Pine  Apple,  without  which  an  ideal  dessert  is 
not  complete.  To  various  causes  may  this  decadence  of  Pine 
growing  be  attributed.  Perhaps  in  a  dessert  collection,  where  the 
table  groans  under  the  many  good  things  furnished,  the  Pine  is  a 
fruit  which  is  more  called  upon  to  do  duty  for  appearance  sake 
than  for  use,  hence  a  St.  Michael’s  Pine  at  3s.  6d.  is  as  good  to  look 
at  from  one  point  of  view  as  the  English  specimen  at  a  guinea,  but 
here,  again,  comparison  goes  no  further,  and  with  a  return  of 
prosperity  to  many  gardens  I  venture  to  predict  a  resuscitation  of 
the  defunct  Pine  pit. 
In  one  of  those  inimitable  productions  of  “Punch”  may  be 
noted  a  collier  flinging  down  a  sovereign  for  a  Pine  declined  by  a 
customer  at  ISs.,  with  the  remark,  “  Never  mind  the  change  mister, 
but  tell  us  how  to  cook  it.”  This,  I  think,  points  a  moral  in  the 
decline  of  English  Pine  culture.  The  superiority  of  the  fruit  is 
not  questioned,  but  the  frugal  mind  has,  for  the  time  being,  placed 
it  under  a  ban.  Bananas  sold  at  Id.  per  finger  do  not,  at  first 
sight,  leave  an  opening  for  their  culture  in  our  stoves,  yet  I  have, 
in  one  instance,  seen  19s.  per  lb.  paid  for  English-grown  fruit, 
and  if  the  culture  of  Musa  Cavendishi  for  fruiting  was  better 
understood  it  might  be  oftener  seen. 
It  is  unnecessary  to  touch  on  the  various  points  of  excellence 
which  are  looked  for  in  high-class  dessert  fruit,  yet  there  is  one  not 
so  generally  taken  into  account  that  is  not  to  be  despised — viz., 
