April  24,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
359 
On  Fruit  Production. 
So  much  space  in  tlie  horticultural  press  has  during  recent 
years  been  devoted  to  matters  connected  with  fruit-growing 
that  I  have  sometimes  refrained  from  recording  many  of  my 
ideas  on  the  subject,  through  fear  that  other  branches  of  garden¬ 
ing  should  in  consequence  have  too  little  attention.  Of  one 
thing,  however,  I  am  absolutely  convinced- — viz.,  that  notwith¬ 
standing  all  that  has  been  written  upon  the  matter,  the  “  for¬ 
ward  movement  ”  in  connection  with  planting  and  cultivating 
fruit  trees  is  too  insignificantly  little  in  comparison  with  the 
needs  of  the  hour.  For  this  reason  I  welcome  the  forcible  and 
suggestive  remarks  of  “  Herefordshire  Incumbent”  on  .page  289, 
and  I  entirely  agree  with  his  a.ssei’tion  that  the  enormou.s 
importations  of  fruit  which  are  sent  to  us  from  foreign  lands  are 
a  reproach  to  the  industry  and  intelligence  of  English  people. 
AVhat  is  wanted  at  the  present  time  is  a  great  and  combined  effort 
which  will  have  the  effect  of  ensuring  the  planting  and  good 
culture  of  fruit  trees  in  such  quantities  as  to  considerably  lessen 
each  year  the  big  fruit  bill  we  now  so  foolishly  pay  to  foreigners. 
Pessimists  are  ever  ready  to  raise  a  warning  finger  about  over¬ 
production,  but  Avhen  we  see  our  imijorts  increasing  instead  of 
diminishing,  it  shows  clearly  that  we  are  falling  back  rather  than 
advancing  in  the  effort  to  provide  our  own  supplies  of  certain 
fruits  which  can  be  grown  bettier  in  this  country  than  anywhere 
else.  When  I  say  certain  fruits,”  I  refer  principally  to  late 
Apples,  and  some  varieties  of  Pears.  In  regard  to  the  former, 
there  are  splendid  opportunities  for  cultivators  to  make  a 
speciality  of  kinds  which  can  be  placed  on  the  market  from 
Christmas  to  the  end  of  April,  as  well  grown  samples  are  always 
in  great  demand  at  remunerative  prices,  and  we  have  in  this 
country  at  the  present  time  a  few  grand  varieties  suitable  for 
the  purpose. 
In  warm  districts  Pear  culture  might  wdth  advantage  be 
greatly  extended,  as  splendid  results  may  be  obtained  bj^  gi'owing 
Doyenne  du  Cornice,^  Williams’  Bon  Chretien,  Louise  Bonne  of 
Jersey,  Doyenne  d’Ete,  and  Beurre  Hardy,  as  pyramids.  And 
there  is  always  a  good  demand  for  stewing  Pears.  The  great 
point  is  to  feed  the  trees  well  w'hen  they  are  carrying  heavy 
crops,  and  also  to  tliin  the  fruits  of  large  growing  varieties. 
“  Hereford, shire  Incumbent  ”  has  wdsely  pointed  out  the  difficul¬ 
ties  which  bar  the  path  of  progress  in  regard  to  obtaining  suit¬ 
able  land,  and  I  know  it  does  exist  in  many  instances,  but  to  my 
mind  the  greatest  difficulty  of  all  is  to  get  men  with  capital  to 
embark  in  fruit  growing  to  anything  like  an  adequate  extent, 
and  yet  when  the  work  is  well  conducted  I  know  of  nothing  con¬ 
nected  with  the  land  which  pays  the  life  holder  better,  taking 
one  year  w'ith  the  other.  One  word  more  about  the  difficulties 
of  obtaining  land.  These,  to  my  mind,  freciuently  only  exist 
in  consequence  of  misconception  ;  certain  counties,  such  as  Kent, 
Herefordshire,  and  Worcestershire,  have  too  long  been  regarded 
as  having  special  qualifications  for  fruit  culture,  which  other 
counties  could  not  approach.  The  sooner  this  idea  is  dispelled 
the  better,  as  I  haX'e  seen  as  fine  crops  of  Apples  produced  in 
Hampshire,  Wilts,  Somerset,  and  Warwickshire  as  in  the  most 
favoui’ed  districts  of  Kent.  In  one  respect  I  claim  that  in  some 
parts  of  Warwickshire  fruit  crops  generally  can  be  grown  with 
greater  certainty  than  in  Kent,  for  the  simple  reason  that  less 
damage  is  done  by  late  spring  frosts. 
Another  point  I  have  studied  closely  during  the  last  two 
years — and  I  have  had  excellent  opportunities  of  doing  it — is  the 
kind  of  soils  adapted  for  fruit  growing,  and  I  am  firmly  convinced 
that  far  too  much  stress  has  been  laid  upon  the  neco,ssity  of 
selecting  a  soil  amswering  to  the  cut>and-dried  descriptions  so 
often  advanced  as  being  necessary.  I  have  travelled  a  good 
many  miles  to  see  fine  crops  of  Apples,  Plums,  and  Pears,  and 
one  point  which  has  impressed  me  as  much  as  anything  in  con¬ 
nection  Avith  them  is  the  widely  different  types  of  soils  in  which 
such  fruits  were  growing  splendidly.  Any  fairly  good  soil  of 
moderate  depth  wull  grow  such  crops  well,  provided  it  is  naturally 
well  drained,  and  stiff  clays,  when  artificially  drained  and 
thoroughly  worked  for  a  year  or  two,  will  grow  grand  fruit. 
The  great  point  is  to  be  thorough  in  preparing  the  soil  before 
lanting,  and  in  feeding  liberally  when  once  the  trees  begin  to 
ear  good  crops.  In  some  cases  feeding  is  necessary  to  get  young 
trees  to  grow  away  satisfactorily  before  they  begin  to  fruit. 
Judgment  is  required  in  all  such  matters.  Much  can  also  be 
done  by  selecting  varieties  which  are  known  to  succeed  in  par¬ 
ticular  districts,  as  the  behaviour  of  Apples  and  Pears  is  most 
erratic  in  this  respect.  If  would-be  British  fruit  grow'ers  would 
take  a  somewhat  wider  range  in  their  search  for  land,  instead  of 
confining  their  attention  to  certain  counties,  I  do  not  think  they 
would  have  much  difficulty  in  getting  the  requisite  amount  of 
really  suitable  land  in  good  situations,  without  paying  “  fancy 
prices,”  but  I  shall  be  much  surprised  if  the  present  price  of 
land  in  ceiffain  districts  I  know  of  is  not  doubled  in  the  near 
future. 
It  seems  to  me  that  before  we  can  cut  off  a  large  proportion 
of  foreign  supplies  of  Apples  and  Pears  it  will  be  necessary  for 
men  Avith  a  considerable  amount  of  capital  to  embark  in  fruit 
growing  on  a  big  scale,  and  why  enterprising  capitalists  have  not 
yet  turned  their  attention  to  the  matter  in  a  really  serious 
inanner  I  cannot  understand,  as  the  security  for  the  money 
invested  would  be  infinitely  better  than  in  tlie  case  of  half  the 
industrial  schemes  which  at  the  present  time  find  plenty  of 
supporters.  Owners  of  land  might,  I  think,  also  do  a  great  deal 
to  further  the  work,  and  at  the  same  time  benefit  themselves,  by 
the  following  means: — Planting  on  their  estates  from  ten  to 
twenty  acres  of  fruit  trees  under  the  direction  of  an  expert,  and 
then  either  letting  such  plantations  at  once,  or  retaining  them 
for  a  few  years  to  lay  a  proper  foundation  to  the  trees,  before 
letting  to  a  good  tenant  just  as  the  trees  were  coming  into 
bearing.  In  either  case  the  amount  of  rent  obtained  over  that 
received  for  ordinary  agricultural  land  would  return  splendid 
interest  for  the  money  invested.  To  anyone  inclined  to  doubt 
this  point  I  say.  Try  to  rent  an  extensive  orchard  in  good  con¬ 
dition,  and  find  out  from  experience  the  price  one  Avould  have 
to  pay.  In  many  cases,  I  know,  the  OAvners  of  estates  can  ill 
afford  the  money  to  carry  out  such  improvements,  but  in  hosts 
of  instances  there  is  plenty  of  money  at  command,  and  a  good 
many  twenty-acre  lots  of  fruit  plantations  might  with  advantage 
be  established  on  such  estates.  To  give  good  tenants  encourage¬ 
ment,  and  to  alloAv  them  to  reap  the  rcAvard  of  their  laboiirs, 
short  leases  should  be  arranged,  with  a  distinct  agreement  that 
the  lease  could  be  extended  at  the  wish  of  the  tenant.  Some 
might,  argue  tliat  this  would  be  putting  too  much  poAver  in  the 
hands  of  a  tenant,  and  might  be  abused.  To  that  I  reply  that 
the  tenant  Avould  have  to  give  the  trees  proper  attention  to  make 
the  business  pay  (as  inferior  fruit  is  not  Avanted  on  the  market! ; 
if  he  failed  to  do  that  the  short  lease  would  give  him  an  early 
opportunity  to  quit,  and  IcaAm  the  way  open  for  a  more  suitable 
tenant.  This  course  AA’ould  be  the  best  for  all  parties  concerned. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  a  tenant  found  the  business  was  paying, 
he  should  certainly  have  the  option  of  reneAving  his  lease,  and 
the  landlord  ought  not  to  be  dissatisfied  at  haAdng  turned  his 
land  to  such  good  account.  I  should  also  like  to  see  plantations 
of  from  four  to  six  acres  established  and  let  to  deserving  tenants. 
I  am  quite  sure  that  plenty  of  suitable  ones  could  be  found,  and 
AA’hen  they  AA’ere  thus  directly  interested  in  fruit  culture,  Avould 
evince  a  greater  desire  tO'  take  advantage  of  the  facilities  afforded 
by  our  County  Councils  for  acquiring  an  up-to-date  knoAA’ledge 
on  such  matters.  The  Avhole  thing,  if  Avorked  on  business  prin¬ 
ciples,  would  be  a  financial  success  to  all  parties  concerned.  It 
Avould  create  renoAved  interest  in  village  life,  and  aAvaken  into 
active  usefulness  the  splendid  mateiial  Avhich  in  counti-y  districts 
is  continually  drifting  to  the  towns  because  there  are  here  too 
feAA"  outlets  for  the  energy  and  aspirations  of  humanity  to-day. 
The  consequence  is  that  the  Aveaklings  fall  AA'hen  the  time  of 
trial  comes,  and  our  hospitals,  prisons,  and  Avorkhouses  are  filled 
to  overflowing. 
The  three  great  points  that  all  interested  in  this  matter 
should  keep  constantly  in  mind  are :  First,  that  Apples  and 
Pears  can  be  grown  splendidly  and  profitably  in  this  country ; 
second,  that  there  is  plenty  of  land  suitable  for  the  purpose 
AA’hich  is  not  at  present  turned  to  profitable  account ;  third,  that 
AA-e  are  paying  millions  of  money  annually  to  other  countries 
for  produce  Ave  could  grow  better  at  home,  and  in  doing  so  pro¬ 
vide  healthy  employment  for  tens  of  thousands  Avho  at  present 
are  forced  into  the  cities.  The  other  important  matters  con¬ 
nected  Avith  the  subject,  viz.,  railway  rates,  co-operation,  and 
the  use  of  motor  poAver,  will,  to  my  mind,  be  arranged  satis¬ 
factorily  before  long,  because  under  the  pressure  of  co-operation 
and  the  competition  of  the  motor,  the  raihvay  rates  aaTII  come 
down  shaiqily.  I  repeat,  the  crying  need  of  the  hour  is  a  “•  com¬ 
bined  effort  to  plant  on  a  big  scale.” — H.  D. 
Apple,  Mannington’s  Pearmain. 
All  authorities  appear  to  unite  in  giving  this  Apple  a  fine 
character,  and  it  affords  another  instance  that  old  Apples  are 
among  the  best  AA'e  groAV.  It  Avas  distributed  in  the  forties  by 
Mr.  Cameron,  a  nurseryman  of  Ipswich,  though  it  originated 
about  the  year  1770.  Mr.  J.  Mannington,  a  butcher,  at  Uckfield, 
after  Avhom  it  AA'as  named,  communicated  the  fact  that  it  Avas 
found  in  a  hedgeroAV,  a  small  scrubby  tree,  on  a  spot  Avhere  a 
cider  mill  and  press  Avere  formerly  AAorked,  and  it  is  supposed 
to  liaA^e  been  produced  from  a  pip  among  the  pulp  throAAm  aA\  ay 
after  iiressing.  The  tree  maintained  a  stunted  groAvth  until  it 
died  in  1820.  But  previdus  to  this  Mr.  Mannington,  Avho  thought 
it  an  Apple  of  the  best  quality,  distributed  grafts  in  the  locality, 
and  in  the  autumn  of  1847  sent  fruits  to  a  meeting  of  the  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society,  and  they  Avere  pronounced  by  Dr.  Bindley  and 
Mr.  Thompson  to  be  a  dessert  fruit  of  the  highest  excellence. 
Mr.  Mannington  stated  on  one  occasion  he  had  kept  it  in  good 
cliaracter  up  to  the  middle  of  May.  It  is  a  good  hardy  Api)le, 
and  yet  the  tree  does  not  attain  to  a  large  size.  Mr.  Geo. 
Bunyard  describes  this  Apple  as  in  use  in  November  and 
December,  “medium  size,  flesh  yellow,  rich,  sugary,  and  tender, 
abundant  bearer  ;  requires  well-drained  soil ;  delicious.”  Higher 
praise  can  scarcely  be  given  to  an  Apple. — R.  D. 
