§ Mr. LAURENCE HARDYasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether any steps are being 1888W taken, by the Board to investigate practical points in connection with fruit-growing such as were suggested years ago by the Select Committee on the fruit industry, and which every fruit-growing association, in the country desires to have further inquiry into; whether any application has been received by the Board for a grant to promote research in fruit-growing through the Development Commissioners; and, if so, why such application has not been sent forward to the Development Commissioners?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYYes, Sir; the Board have from time to time instituted either directly or through the agency of the agricultural colleges, investigations of the character to which the hon. Member refers, and' the Board hope to do still further work in the same direction in the future. A number of applications for Grants from the Development Fund for research work in fruit-growing have been received. Some have already been granted or refused by the Commissioners, and in other cases the question of making grants is standing over pending the settlement of the general scheme.