The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-06-27 00:00:00

PRODUCING AND MARKETING:

I have been lately reading in one of our local
papers some very practical remarks from one who has
every opportunity of obtaining information, and his
argument was that fruit-growing for profit must not
be looked upon as a remedy for all the ills that agri-
culturists are liable to be afflicted with. I was sorry
he did not state his views more clearly on other
matters bearing on the question, because it seems to
me that if the farmer is to derive any benefit from
fruit culture something else must be thought about
besides finding capital and obtaining the best infor-
mation as to what kinds of fruit it is best to grow
for profit. The statement may appear strange, but
my conviction is that they must first make sure of a
market for their produce beforo they enter upon
fruit-growing on a large scale. Already the local
markets are, in favourable seasons, adequately
supplied, and much fruit is already sold at prices
that cannot possibly leave any margin for profit.
Therefore, if the area of land under fruit is increased
it is quite plain that another channel must be opened
up to receive it, or the present rate of returns will
certainly be diminished. In seasons where there is
a fair crop of apples they can be bought when just
gathered from the tree at the rate of sixteenpence
per bushel, and ordinary cider fruit is worth about
two shillings per bag of three bushels. Only last
season, within a few miles of here, I saw many
bushels of Blenheim Pippin apples mixed with the
cider apples to be made into cider, because no one
cared to give more for fruit for cooking than for
cider-making. Yet the owner was willing to sell, and
I could have bought them, for half-a-crown a
bushel. Surely such facts as these show that better
markets are required. There are many good mean-
ing people who try to teach cultivators of small farms
and also cottagers, how to manage their land
properly. But I fear they have not mastered all the
details themselves. I have read much in my time
about profitable beekeeping, and how well they can
be made to pay. But experience proves that even the
advocates for beekeeping may not always be relied
upon to furnish a substantial case. The same diffi-
culty in finding a market for the honey in agricultural
, districts is experienced as for fruit. The advocates
of bee culture base their calculations upon the honey
being sold at one shilling per lb.,but in this:district I have
known it in favourable honey seasons to be sold in large
quantities at 6d. per lb. So that we see the published
figures are not to be relied upon when they arc made
with a view to support particular views, and yet it is
the residents in isolated districts that these views are
supposed to benefit, if occupiers of /and could only be
persuaded to adopt them. It is not my intention to
say that fruit growing or bee culture cannot be made
to pay, but it is an undoubted fact that the majority
of small growers cannot even now sell their produce
at remunerative prices. Therefore, before time and
money tab devoted to extending operations in tho
same direction, suitable markets must be found,
where the grower may obtain a fair share of the
prices palind.— The Gardeners' Ifaggzil-