736 



Agricultural Gazette of X.S.W. 



[Oct. 2, 1920. 



iiiarketet] Creswells Seedling for over seven months in the year under these 

 conditions. The eai-lier remarks apply to cases where strawberries are grown 

 as an orchard side crop, and chiefly to the first year's growth. 



How to Treat Runners. 



The plants should be kept free from runners till after Christmas time. 

 After that, if plants are required for the next season, they may be left and 

 allowed to root all over the plot. By this procedure a grower with half an 

 iicve may often add another <£20 to his income through the sale cf plants. 

 These jjlants are generally sold at from 18s. to 22s. 6d. a thousand. 



When the plants are blossoming for the second crop they throw out long 

 forked arms, upon which the fruit is produced in bunches. It is at this time 

 that the plants begin to bear the greatest number of runners, and con- 

 sequently the grower has a busy time cutting them otf so as to give the 

 berries a chance to attain a good size. 



Time and Method of Harvesting. 

 As soon as the plants begin to blossom the grower should seize the 

 first opportunity of getting in a good supply of punnets, as there is nothing 



tnat will give him so much 

 anxiety and cause him so 

 much inconvenience as to 

 have a fine lot of berries 

 ripening and have no pun- 

 nets to market them in. 

 It is here also that the most 

 skilfid part of the business 

 comes in. Commercial suc- 

 cess depends greatlyon how 

 the crop is handled. The 

 berries should not be al- 

 lowed to get too ripe, and 

 ■when they are at their best the plots will need going over almost every day 

 if the crop is to be kept in hand. 



Strawberries should be pinched off with some stalk attached and handled 

 carefully. Receptacles which do not hold too great a quantity should be 

 used for picking into, as it is essential that the berries should not be subjected 

 to any more pressure than necessary. Some growers use soup or large dinner 

 plates. These are good on account of the smooth surface, which does not cut 

 or chafe the berries ; but they are a little inconveni(>nt and heavy. Others 

 u.se punnets. When inexperienced hands are picking, the receptacles should 

 be carried to the packing shed when filled and handed over to persons more 

 qualified to grade and pack their contents. When experienced hands are 

 doing all the wuik, and a receptacle is used which will vnvrj a number of 

 punnets, the grading can be done at the sume time as the picking. A very 

 good picking i-eceptacle can be made by putting a handle on an ordinary 

 oblong bo.K of sufficient capacity to hold six or more punnets, as shown in 



Fig. 7. — Packing box, to carry forty-flve punnets. 



