IN FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWING.
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Where the Agrimotor and Lorry are Used, and Considerable Benefits Accrue in Consequence.
IHAD THE pleasure of visiting Pershore Flower Shaw, which was held the other day. It is still called a, flower show, but its chief feature to my mind, was the commercial fruit and veg-etable exhibition and the show of power implements for market gardening and fruit-growing. It is only natural that,. held in the. centre of a; great market-gardening and fruit-growing area, the show should take upon .itself the garb of a commercial event. Most of the power machines there were for fruit-tree spraying, but an appliance which seems to be just the thing needed in the district, and which was on view at the show, was the Simar rotary motor cultivator. It was shown by Messrs. Wells and Pickard, of Peopleton, near Pershore, and attracted a crowd of interested growers all day long; in fact., I know that some members of the industry came from as far away as Bridgwate-r
especially to see this appliance. .
We have maintained for a. long time past that a different means of cultivation will have to be evolved. now that the motor is so fast replacing the horse. Perhaps in market-gardening and fruit-growing more than in agriculture itself is this need more keenly felt. The small Simar, which was the one exhibited, gives just that degree .of soil pulverization that is most needed among fruit trees .and'Veget.ables. The depth can be regulated as desired, and the width of the machine is such that even the rows of vegetables can be arranged for it to pass between them, and, • when once it has passed over the ground and performed its operation, the job is done. There is no need to engage in two, three, or four cultivating operations in order to secure the degree of filth necessary ; the Simar rotary cultivator secures that at one operation.
I had not the opportunity of seeing the machine at work. It had been the intention of the exhibitors to demonstrate it, but no land within twd miles of the Show could be secured, which was rather a pity.. A description of the machine has already appeared in 1'116 Commen-ial Motor._ The Fordson tractor was exhibited by Messrs. Geo. Heath, Lea., of Worcester.. This agrimotor appears tobe quite . a favourite among the larger fruit growers, for it is very extensively used in the -Evesham and Pershore districts. Growers like the machine because its height is not too great, and it will.donveniently pass unde.r half-standards and that type of tree, and it is a useful machine for ploughing and tilling the land for potatoes and other vegetables grown on a wholesale scale.
On an occasion like this I naturally made some inquiries as to the extent of the use of the commercial
motor lorry in the busy district of Pershore. con. versation with a number of growers, I found that the lorry, varying in size according to the extent of the concern, was being largely •used. This I knew to be the case, because one has only to. pass through the district to see these vehicles on the road, but it is a certain faet. that there are now more comurercial vehicles in use in the Evesham and Pershore districts than there ever. has been be-fore.I could not get any facts or figures; one el:m.1d hardly expect it-,.hut all the growers whom I was able. to meet testified to their satisfaction in theuse of' the commercial motor, and Fepeated that it was a great and 'a paying proposition. • .
The fact that the various markets themselves are using motor transport, for collecting even. small loads of fruit and vegetables in the district was proof posi tive of the undertaking being an economical proposition, and the markets do not own the vehicles; the work is done for them .by hired contract.
The -full scope of the commercial vehicle is, however, not yet, by any means, reached ; there is room for thousands of them in this one district alone. What seems to stand in the way of more rapid development is the natural conservatism of a section of the growers. They do not, like to depart from the old ways ; they do not like to run risks; they do not like the initial outlay involved in the purchase of a motor lorry. The smaller people could easilyco-operate to deal with their own transport difficulties, but the soundest proposition for the larger grower is to own a vehicle outright. The Selden and Garner are among the vehicles used at Evesham.
The same remarks as to cost apply to an appliance like the Sima,r rotary cultivator. Its price is approximately £2.50. It is only a small thing to look at, but the psychology of the people is such that they would give the same money much more .willingly for an appliance that was twice as large, even though leSs efficient. They do not stop to weigh the possibilities, to work out in some little detail what, an appliance like the Sirnar will do, the number of implements it will obviate, and the work that it will do, the added efficiency that it will give to cultivation. As to workmanship, it is impossible to find an engine and appliance better made. AGEIMOT.