342 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTTCULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
April  16,  190?. 
British  Fruit  Farming’. 
To  what  cause,  or  causes,  the  lack  of  adventure  into  fruit- 
fanning  may  be  attributed,  leaving  alone  the  question  of  rail¬ 
way  rates.  I  should  say  the  difficulty  of  securing  land,  especially 
by  the  small  capitalist  on  lease,  or  a  guarantee  of  payment  for 
the  increased  value  that  a  tenant  imparts  to  the  land  by  plant¬ 
ing  fruit  trees.  This  applies  equally  to  the  cottager  and  his 
garden  or  allotment,  as  to  the  market  gardener' and  the  small 
holder  and  farmer.  A  tenant,  having  regard  to  his  own  in¬ 
terests,  would  not  be  ju.stified  in  planting  fruit  bushes  or  trees 
unless  he  were  assured  of  definite  and  .sufficient  compensation 
for  this  great  improvement.  In  some  fruit-growing  districts  the 
landlord  finds  the  trees  for  an  orchard,  the  tenant  planting 
them ;  but  no  compensation  for  unexhausted  improvements  is 
allowed.  Tenants  of  a  confiding  nature  have  .so  often  planted 
fruit  trees,  even  cottagers,  allotment  holders,  small  holders,  and 
farmers,  to  find  the  improvement  profit  the  landlord  in  the  chief 
degree,  there  being  no  security  either  for  themselves  or  their 
families,  the  landlord  always  being  on  the  safe  side  and  the 
tenant  the  uncertain  and  insecure.  Truly,  the  uncertainties 
of  land  tenure  have  much  hindered  the  increase  of  fruit  land. 
But  the  great  cause  of  all  is  the  absorption  of  the  man  by 
the  towns.  The  small  holdings,  once  common  in  every  village, 
are  where  ?  Swallowed  up  by  adjoining  farms,  and  the  cultiva¬ 
tion  of  these  is  so  indifferent,  and  in  consequence  the  gross 
returns  so  poor  that  a  living  wage  cannot,  is  not,  given  the 
working  man. 
What  does  this  mean  ?  Centralisation  of  the  fruit  growing 
industries.  Landowners  indulge  in  it,  producing  fruit  in  their 
respective  districts,  of  which  a  similar  supply  is  grown  by 
cottagers  and  small  holders,  and  the  result  is  thC'  man  is  driven 
from  the  land  to  the  towns.  Some  farmers,  equally  Avith  land¬ 
lords,  favoured  by  long  leases,  have  gone  in  for  fruit  farming, 
not  a  few  from  one  acre  to  ten,  from  ten  to  a  hundred,  and  even 
from  the  hundred  to  thousand  acres.  Fruit  farming  generally 
pays,  but  undoubtedly  fruit  farming  does  not  pay  the  small 
growers  in  glut  years,  for  there  is  no  co-operation  amongst  them, 
no  jam  making,  or  fimit  drying  on  their  own  account,  and  only 
the  monopolists  reap,  and  to  them  a  rich  one,  harvest. 
The  great  hindrance^ — in.security  of  land  tenure^to  fruit 
growing  being  removed,  and  adequate  compensation  granted 
for  improvements,  which  means  the  intelligent  and  hardworking 
farm  hand  restored  to  the  land,  either  as  a  cottager,  with  some 
garden  or  allotment  land  to  profitably  employ  his  spare  time, 
aided  by  his  family,  and  assured  a  living  Avage  Avhen  Avorking  for 
a  farmer,  or  as  a  small  holder  solely  relying  on  his  OAvn  efforts  in 
producing  milk  and  butter,  eggs  and  foAvls,  pork  and  bacon, 
fruit  raw  and  preserved,  and  A’egetables.  There  is  no  reason 
Avhy  the  British  fruit  grower  should  not  hold  his  own  against 
foreign  rivals  living  in  sunnier  climes,  less  capricious  as  regards 
natural  elements  and  the  restrictions  of  landoAvners.  Croakers, 
ever  clamouring  for  protection  and  admitting  thereby  their  in¬ 
competency,  may  keep  on  prophesying  that  the  British  fruit 
groAver’s  occupation  is  gone;  but  the  fact. remains  that  the 
British  fruit  acreage  has  increased,  nearly  if  not  quite  doubled 
Avithin  the  past  quarter  century,  Avhile  the  foreign  importa¬ 
tions  of  fruit  have  also  enormously  increased,  and  the  price 
of  home  groAvn  produce  has  been  quite  as  good,  and  in  well 
grown  and  properly  set  up  examples,  better  than  it  Avas  previous 
to  the  last  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Of  course,  there 
are  gluts. 
Why  cannot  growers  co-operate  as  monopolists  do  to  prevent, 
cr  at  least  profit  from  the  full  years  to  lay  up  against  the  lean 
reasons  by  jam  making  and  fruit  drying?  Sugar  duty  and 
sugar  bounties — protection — tell  adversely  on  the  British  fruit 
grower.  NeA’ertheless,  the  large  importations  of  foreign  fruit 
need  not  fill  home  producers  with  dismay ;  for,  considering  the 
dense  and  increasing  population  of  the  British  Islands,  and  the 
advance  in  the  taste  of  the  multitude  for  fruit,  fresh,  cooked, 
and  made  into  jam,  there  is  .sure  to  be  a  great  demand,  and 
with  due  foreseeing  care  in  .selection  of  varieties,  cultivation, 
and  keeping,  or  preservation  of  gluts  against  a  time  of  scarcity 
by  conservation  into  .sugar  or  even  by  dicing,  I  feel  .sure  the 
best  sorts,  well  grown,  properly  assorted,  and  attractiA-ely 
placed  on  the  markets,  will  hold  their  oAvn  against  the  finest  that 
may  be  imported. 
Fru'it  groAving  is  an  interesting  and  engrossing  occupation, 
and,  taking  an  average  of  seasons,  also  profitable.  It  can  be 
commenced  in  a  small  Avay,  especially  that  of  bu.sh  fruits  and  of 
dwarf  trees,  nothing  being  planted  larger  than  the  half-standard 
in  gardens,  allotments,  small  holdings,  and  fruit  plantations, 
and  the  tenant  being  secured  by  a  long  lea.se  and  the  a,ssurance 
of  compensation  for  improvements,  success  is  certain,  the  all- 
important  capital,  skill,  and  painstaking  industry  being  forth- 
coining.  The  bush  and  divarfing  system  is  unquestionably  more 
suitable  and  profitable  than  the  old-fashioned  plan  of  planting 
standard  trees;  but  the  exaggerated  yields  of  crops  shoAving  .a 
profit  of  £120,  £90,  and  £50  per  acre  must  be  discounted  to'^an 
average  by  twice  or  even  thrice  division,  for  the  groAver  knows, 
or  Aiill  soon  be  made,  that  the  trees  are  exposed  to  great  danger 
froni  fro.st,  prolonged  Avet,  and  failure  thus  occurring  from  time 
to  time  bring  doAvn  the  annual  returns  to  not  more  than  a  fair 
profit. 
Fruit  farming  Avitli  clAvarf  trees  is  not  only  adapted  for  fruit 
farms  upon  a  large  scale,  but  admirably  suited  for  labourers’ 
gardens,  labourers’  allotments,  and  small  holdings;  in  short, 
for  small  cultivators,  to  Avhom  fruit  groAving  Avould  be  a  fertilo 
.source  of  income,  and  can  be  adopted  in  all  parts  of  the  British 
Islands,  for  Avhat  is  Avanted  is  not  centralisation,  but  decen¬ 
tralisation,  taking  from  congested  and  implanting  on  free  scope 
land,  the  greater  part  of  the  land  in  England,  Wales,  Scotland, 
and  Ireland  being  capable  of  growing  fruit  of  some  sort  or 
other,  and  it  is  Avell  to  ascertain  by  examination  of  the  fruit 
trees  in  private  gardens  Avhat  the  locality  is  suitable  for  before 
planting,  even  on  a  small,  much  less  large,  scale  for  profit. 
Even  the  native  vegetation  may  act  as  a  guide  as  to  Avhat  fruits 
are  suitable  for  any  particular  locality.  Thus,  the  Avild  Straw¬ 
berry,  Blackberry,  Sloe,  HaAvthorn,  Crab,  or  Hazel,  if  fruiting 
Avell,  indicates  that  Strawberries,  Raspberries,  Gooseberries, 
and  Currants,  Plums  and  Damsons,  Pears  and  Apples,  Avith  Cobs 
and  Filberts,  might  do  the  same.  Altitude  and  exposure  arc 
factors  to  be  reckoned  with,  but  there  are  spots,  even  on  moors, 
that  are  sufficiently  sheltered  for  bush  fruit  culture;  or  if  not, 
they  could  readily  be  made  so  by  planting  the  needful  screen 
trees. 
At  the  same  time  it  would  be  very  unwise  to  form  a  bush 
fruit  plantation,  much  more  so  to  form  a  planta,tion  of  dwarf 
Apple,  Cherryq  Pear,  and  Plum  trees  in  a  locality  Avhere  these 
fimits  do  not  exist  AA'ild,  or  Avhere  they  have  not  been  pre¬ 
viously  cultivated,  AA’ithout  carefully  inquiring  into  climate, 
situation,  .soil,  and  labour  available,  also  facilities  for  obtaining 
manure  and  means  of  transit  of  produce  to  market,  for  cultural 
skill  Avill  aAmil  nothing  unless  combined  Avith  commercial  advan¬ 
tages. — G.  Abbey. 
Late  Houses  of  Figs. 
The  trees  in  these  require  spraying  on  fine  days  sufficiently 
early  to  alloAV  of  their  becoming  di-y  before  night.  Ventilate 
in  the  early  part  of  the  day.  Strive  to  ensure  solid  growths, 
and  close  early  in  the  afternoon  Avith  plenty  of  atmospheric 
moisture  Avhere  there  is  means  of  excluding  frost,  but  in  un¬ 
heated  houses  afford  moderate  mpisture  only. — G. 
'  j 
Melons. 
Plants  SAvelling  their  fruits  require  liberal  supplies  of  water 
or  liquid  manure  at  the  roots,  providing  plenty  of  atmospheric 
moisture.  There  must  be  no-  deficiency  of  moisture  at  the  roots 
or  in  the  atmosphere  until  the  fruit  commences  ripening,  and 
not  then  if  the  plants  are  to  continue  for  a  second  crop.  A  little 
air  constantly  is  advisable  during  ripening  to  prevent  the  fruit 
cracking  and  insure  high  quality.  During  the  setting  of  the 
fruits  a  drier  condition  of  the  atmosphere  is  advisable,  but  the 
soil  must  not  become  so  dry  as  to  cause  the  foliage  to  flag. 
Attend  daily  to  setting  the  flowers,  stopping  the  groAvth  as  the 
blossoms  are  fertilised.  Keep  the  temperature  at  65deg  to  70deg 
at  night,  70deg  to  75deg  by  day  artificially,  and  betAveen  80deg 
and  90deg  with  sun  heat,  ventilating  carefully  at  all  times,  avoid¬ 
ing  sudden  fluctuations. 
Plants  in  frames  are  shoAving  fruit,  and  unless  they  are  suffi¬ 
ciently  numerous  to  insure  two  or  three  fruits  to  a  plant  setting 
at  the  same  time,  it  is  desirable  to  remove  the  first  blossoms,  as 
Avith  more  shoots  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  securing  five  or  six 
fruit-bearing  floAvers  of  .simultaneous  groAvth  on  each  plant,  wdiich 
should  be  fertilised.  Maintain  good  linings,  bottom  heat,  and 
a  dry  condition  of  the  atmosphere  Avhen  the  fruit  is  setting. 
Earth  the  plants  as  they  advance  in  growth,  having  this  effected 
before  the  fruit  is  set,  as  it  cannot  Avell  be  attended  to  after- 
AVards  in  frames.  Make  neAv  beds,  and  put  out  plants.  soAving 
and  potting  and  otherAvise  preparing  for  succe.ssional  beds.^ — A. 
