164 
journal  of  lIORTICULWRF  AND  COTTAGE  GaRDENER. 
Anjfhat  ly,  iflfi?; 
FRUIT  GROWING  AND  SELLING. 
The  difficulties  attendant  on  the  cultivation  of  hardy  fruit  in 
this  climate  are  frequently  recounted  in  the  pages  of  the  horti¬ 
cultural  periodicals.  Every  phase  of  the  subject  is  described,  and 
the  available  means  for  combating  many  of  the  evils  are  explained  ; 
in  short,  it  is  the  fault  of  neither  writers  nor  editors  if  cultivators 
are  unable  to  cope  with  most  of  their  disadvantages.  There  is, 
however,  one  aspect  of  fruit  culture  which  demands  more  attention 
— in  fact,  it  is  so  essential  that  the  greatest  cultural  success  is 
nullified  by  defective  knowledge  in  the  profitable  realisation  of  the 
fruit  produced. 
This  is  of  more  importance  now,  because  in  so  many  private 
gardens  the  sale  of  surplus  produce  is  an  established  rule,  while  in 
others  only  that  which  cannot  be  sold  is  sent  into  the  “  house  ;  ” 
but  whether  the  marketing  is  done  from  private  establishments, 
orchards,  farms,  or  market  gardens,  all  those  responsible  have  to 
study  the  most  economical  and  advantageous  methods  of  finding 
purchasers  for  the  fruit,  vegetables,  plants,  or  flowers  they  are 
engaged  in  producing. 
Many  who  have  had  to  buy  their  experience  can  tell  how  easily 
the  balance  of  accounts  is  placed  on  the  wrong  side,  and  upon  what 
simple  matters  profit  or  loss  frequently  depends.  Certainly  in  this 
matter  “  an  ounce  of  practice  (i.e.,  experience)  is  worth  a  ton  of 
theory,”  as  those  who  endeavour  to  found  a  business  on  theory 
alone  speedily  find  to  their  cost.  The  experience  which  has  fallen 
to  my  lot  hat  been  varied,  and  in  some  respects  exceptional,  and 
this  has  familiarised  me  with  aspects  of  the  subject  which  often 
escape  notice  or  receive  only  partial  attention. 
A  friend  who  is  now  securing  a  substantial  living  from  the 
culture  of  hardy  fruits  called  upon  me  a  few  days  since,  and  in  the 
course  of  conversation  remarked,  “Twelve  years  ago  I  knew 
practically  nothing  of  hardy  fruit  growing,  but  it  seemed  such  a 
simple  matter  that  I  embarked  upon  it  rather  extensively,  and  it 
has  taken  me  quite  half  that  time  to  learn  to  grow  the  fruit,  and 
the  other  half  to  learn  how  to  sell  it.”  Fortunately  this  individual 
was  not  solely  dependant  upon  his  fruit  plantations  for  a  living, 
and  he  was,  further,  in  the  happy  position  of  being  the  owner  of 
the  land  planted.  But  for  these  two  circumstances  it  is  easy  to  ' 
imagine  what  the  result  of  such  an  undertaking  would  have  been.  ' 
It  is  creditable  to  a  man’s  energy,  however,  that  he  should  have  ' 
conquered  such  difficulties,  yet  with  dearly  bought  experience 
like  this  he  is  as  ready  to  communicate  his  knowledge  to  others  as 
if  it  had  cost  him  nothing.  He  speaks  hopefully  of  the  prospects 
of  hardy  fruit  culture,  but  he  qualifies  all  the  encouragement 
given  to  those  about  to  start  in  the  work  with  the  indispensable 
condition  that  they  must  acquire  a  substantial  practical  knowledge 
of  the  industry  before  embarking  in  it,  or  risking  much  capital. 
Without  entering  upon  cultural  questions,  a  few  remarks  upon 
varieties  are  needed  to  preface  the  subject  of  fruit  selling,  as  there 
are  certain  qualities  which  have  a  strong  bearing  upon  market 
value  and  growers’  profits.  Two  properties  of  general  importance  | 
are  hardiness  and  prolificness.  Delicate  varieties  of  any  kind  of  ! 
fruit-bearing  plant  are  eminently  unsnited  for  those  who  wish  to  | 
make  fruit  culture  profitable,  and  equally  so  are  those  that  habitu-  I 
ally  produce  sparse  crops.  Softness  is  also  a  quality  to  be  avoided, 
and  it  is  equally  detrimental  in  Apples  and  Pears  as  it  is  in  the 
more  delicate  fruits  like  Strawberries  ;  while  even  in  Plums  there 
are  some  varieties  with  firmer,  thicker,  and  more  protective  skins 
than  others,  which  enable  them  to  stand  conveyance  by  road  or 
rail  better  than  their  delicate  and,  perhaps,  finer  quality  relatives. 
In  connection  with  this  property  of  softness  may  also  be 
mentioned  the  gathering  of  fruit  before  it  is  dead  ripe.  There 
are  few  points  more  difficult  of  determination  by  the  inexperienced 
than  the  precise  time  when  fruit  can  be  gathered  to  the  best 
advantage  for  marketing  with  safety.  It  is  of  especial  importance 
in  reference  to  Strawberries,  Raspberries,  and  Plums  ;  but  even 
with  Gooseberries  and  Currants  the  difference  of  a  day  in  the  time 
of  gathering  will  sometimes  materially  influence  the  sale  results, 
either  favourably  or  the  reverse. 
If  fruit  is  advanced  beyond  a  certain  stage,  and  it  is  packed 
to  remain  in  bulk  for  some  hours,  or  possibly  a  day,  it  rapidly 
deteriorates  in  value,  even  though  it  was  thoroughly  dry  at  the 
time  of  gathering.  There  is  a  natural  exudation  from  fruit  in  this 
stage  which  leads  to  the  heating  that  is  really  an  incipient  fermen¬ 
tation  affecting  both  flavour  and  appearance  most  injuriously. 
This  seems  so  self-evident  that  dwelling  upon  the  matter  might 
appear  to  be  superfluous  ;  yet  large  quantities  of  fruits  are  rendered 
unsaleable  every  year  by  neglect  in  the  precaution  of  gathering 
sufficiently  early,  and  a  still  larger  proportion  is  sold  at  considerable 
disadvantage  for  the  same  reason.  Gooseberries  are  quite  excep¬ 
tional  in  affording  two  distinct  seasons  of  gathering,  and  in  a  year 
like  the  present,  when  in  many  districts  there  was  scarcely  half  a 
crop,  much  better  prices  were  obtained  for  the  green  fruit  than  is 
now  being  had  for  that  marketed  ripe.  Even  with  only  a  partial 
crop  my  returns  have  been  far  more  satisfactory  than  in  some 
seasons  of  full  crops. 
Appearance  is  a  most  important  factor  in  the  sale  of  fruit.  It 
includes  size  and  colour,  both  qualities  of  urgent  market  importance, 
for  small  fruits  of  their  respective  kinds  stand  a  poor  chance  for 
sale,  except  perhaps  as  regards  the  early  dessert  Apples,  in  which 
both  season  and  quality  outweigh  the  other  considerations.  But  if 
size  is  gained  only  at  the  expense  of  firmness  the  seller  will  not 
profit.  It  is  an  unfortunate  circumstance,  more  clearly  exemplified 
in  Strawberries  than  most  other  fruits,  that  increased  size  is  nearly 
always  attended  by  loss  of  other  qualities,  either  firmness  or 
flavour.  There  is  no  question,  however,  thac  size  does  command 
the  public  attention,  for  large  good-looking  fruits  will  secure 
purchasers  when  those  of  inferior  appearance,  though  possibly 
superior  in  quality,  are  often  passed  over. 
As  regards  colour  the  same  remarks  apply,  for  it  frequently 
makes  20  per  cent.,  or  even  30  per  cent.,  difference  in  the  price. 
Take  for  example  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin,  a  well-known  Apple  of 
proved  quality,  which  in  different  seasons  or  situations  varies 
considerably  in  the  brightness  or  depth  of  colour.  I  have  known 
well-coloured  fruits  realise  1  Os.  per  bushel  when  otherwise  equally 
firood  fruits  on  sale  at  the  same  time  would  not  bring  more  than 
7s.  per  bushel.  A  very  material  difference  when  railway  and 
salesmen’s  charges  have  to  be  deducted  from  the  gross  returns .  It 
will  be  seen  that  this  refers  not  only  to  varieties  notable  for  their 
colour,  but  to  the  selection  of  the  best  coloured  fruits  of  the  same 
variety. 
Flavour  or  quality  is  placed  last  because  it  only  appeals  to  those 
who  have  an  intimate  knowledge  of  fruits,  and  thus  affects  the 
general  market  to  a  limited  extent.  In  leading  depots  like  Covent 
Garden  there  are  always  some  salesmen  who  will  only  deal  in  the 
best  produce  of  all  kinds,  and  then  he  who  has  command  of  really 
first-class  varieties,  and  has  secured  the  confidence  of  purchasers, 
can  obtain  remunerative  prices  even  when  the  general  rates  for 
average  fruits  are  low.  It  is  a  trade  that  ought  to  be  developed. 
In  other  words,  the  public  require  educating  up  to  a  higher 
standard  ;  but  where  a  man  desires  to  get  a  living  he  must  supply 
existing  demands,  and  these  are  all  in  favour  of  the  qualities 
already  named. 
Selecting  and  grading  have  often  been  described  as  essential  to 
the  best  and  most  profitable  trade  in  fruit,  but  they  cannot  be  too 
frequently  or  emphaticaily  impressed  upon  the  minds  of  growers. 
Although  the  labour  is  considerable  when  dealing  with  produce  in 
large  bulk,  yet  the  expense  is  a  wise  outlay,  and  will  bring  a  sub¬ 
stantial  return.  In  my  own  experience  instances  have  occurred 
where  there  would  have  been  less  actual  loss  if  mixed;  ungraded, 
low  quality  fruit  bad  been  thrown  away  instead  of  incurring  the 
expense  of  carriage  and  marketing  ;  yet  for  half  the  quantity  care¬ 
fully  selected,  and  discarding  entirely  all  that  were  defective,  a 
profitable  return  has  been  obtained. 
This  applies  specially  to  Apples  ;  but  the  same  thing  has  been 
proved  in  regard  to  such  soft  fruits  as  Strawberries  and  Rasp¬ 
berries,  as  well  as  Gooseberries.  In  regard  to  the  latter,  as  much 
as  9s.  per  bushel  has  been  made  this  year  of  the  finest  selected 
fruits  for  bottling,  while  for  the  lowest  grade  Gooseberries  not 
more  than  fis.  per  bushel  could  be  secured.  The  labour  involved 
in  grading  Strawberries  is  the  most  serious  item,  for  the  care 
requisite  in  handling  such  a  delicate  fruit  is  much  greater  than 
with  any  other,  as  the  object  should  be  to  avoid  everything  likely 
to  lessen  the  value  of  the  fruit,  which  the  slightest  defect  will  do. 
Notwithstanding  this,  however,  I  have  found,  taking  on  an  average 
of  seasons,  that  after  deducting  the  expenses  of  sorting  there  is  a 
clear  increase  of  £10  per  ton  doe  to  the  grading. 
The  mode  in  which  fruit  is  made  up  for  sale  is  another  matter 
of  considerable  importance,  and  though  it  has  to  be  regulated  by 
local  customs  or  special  market  requirements  to  some  extent,  yet 
there  are  certain  rules  that  apply  generally.  The  first  of  these  is 
that  fruit  should  not  be  made  up  in  large  quantities  where  it  can 
be  avoided,  and  this  is  especially  the  case  with  ripe  fruits  and  all 
the  soft  fruits.  Much  damage  is  done  by  employing  either  boxes 
or  baskets  of  large  size.  The  half  sieves  used  in  Covent  Garden 
Market  are  very  convenient,  but  baskets  are  with  many  growers 
being  gradually  superseded  by  boxes.  The  chief  advantage  of 
these  is  that  the  fruit  is  less  liable  to  injury  in  transit,  and  the 
defect,  if  not  properly  made,  is  that  they  are  too  close  and  conse¬ 
quently  too  heating. 
For  Apples  the  most  convenient  boxes  I  have  tried  are  those 
constructed  to  hold  half  a  bushel,  imperial  measure,  which  can  be 
nearly  square  or  longer  in  one  direction,  allowance  being  made  for  the 
packing  material  and  the  size  of  the  Apples,  the  larger  sorts  need¬ 
ing  most  space,  and  the  proportions  of  the  boxes  must  be  regulated 
to  some  extent  by  the  size  and  class  of  Apple  they  are  intended  to 
hold.  If  the  fruits  can  be  packed  in  even  rows  both  ways  and, 
