§ Lieutenant Herbert Hughesasked the Minister of Agriculture at what prices the fruit tree stocks supplied by his Ministry's research stations are sold to nurserymen; whether supplies are available to individuals as well as to nurserymen; at what284W prices grafted stocks supplied by nurserymen to individuals are controlled; and whether he will make arrangements to enable stocks to be grafted at the research stations and sold at reasonable prices direct to the general public.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsThe fruit seedlings root stocks raised at the Long Ashton Research Station from seed obtained from North America under emergency arrangements made by my Department have all beendisposed of to nurserymen and fruit growers. They were sold at prices approximating to the following:
1944–45 Apples— Grade 1—70s per thousand, 9s per hundred. Grade 2—35s per thousand. 4s. 6d. per hundred. Grade 3—15s per thousand, 2s. per hundred.
1945–46 Apples—50s. per thousand. Plums—100s. per thousand. Cherries—250s. per thousand. Sales of grafted stocks are not subject to price control. It is in my view neither necessary nor desirable that research stations should engage in the normal commercial business of grafting stocke for sale to the general public.