August 1912: Pershore Fruit Growers and Market Gardeners visit Deakin’s Plantations at Toddington, Gloucestershire

From The Evesham Standard, 8 August 1912

The members of the Pershore Fruit Growers and Market Gardeners Association had their annual outing on Saturday, when the extensive plantations of the Toddington Orchard Company were visited. The day was much enjoyed, and Mr. W. Fearnside, the business-like Honorary Secretary of the Association, was highly complimented upon his excellent and complete arrangements. Good management and scientific supervision was everywhere apparent on these plantations. Smudge pots, or orchard heaters, were used in England for the first time at Toddington, and the attention of the visitors was attracted by the simplicity of the methods employed in this work. The jam and canning factory of Messrs. W.R. Deakin Ltd., was a centre of interest. It was a veritable hive of industry in its two departments – can making and fruit-canning. A large number of hands have recently been taken on from the Gloucester Labour Exchange, and these are housed in spacious, symmetrical and sanitary buildings. Mr. Deakin himself showed the party round. He said the firm exported to every part of the civilised world, and showed a stack of 400,000 tins representing one month’s output. The bulk of the loganberries preserved come from the Pershore district. Raspberries were the chief thing canned this year; plums were thought too prohibitive in price to deal with largely. Much of the plantation at Toddington was barren of fruit, but at Hailes, on the higher land, there were good crops of practically everything. The raspberry crop of two to three tons to the acre, was a compensation for the loss of other things. Pershore plums are very thick, but smaller than those in the Pershore district. There is an amazing crop of Kent cob nuts on the 35 acres. Much time was spent inspecting the glass-house, of which there are about 50 of exceptionally large proportions, the majority containing about £250 worth of grapes. The concluding part of the visit was spent in the magnificent gardens of Toddington Mansion. Mr. C.S. Martin and Mr. Bannerman were most kind in conducting the visitors around.