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Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 



[Nov. 2, 1920. 



Do Strawberries pay? 

 Do strawberries pay ? Let the reader dip into the appended table for a 

 reply. In its columns are set down the yearly returns from a number of 

 strawberry plots in the North Ryde and MarsKeld districts. 



Table showing yearly returns from strawberry plots in North Ryde 



and Marsfield district. 



Year. 



I Number 

 Locality and Area of 



of Plot. Punnets 



Marketed. 



Amount Amount 



received received 



for for 



Fruit. Runners. 



Amount 



received for 



Jam Lots. 



Total 

 Receipts. 



Expenses. 



Net 

 Return. 



1919 



1920 



1920 



1918 



1918 



North Ryde, J-acre 

 (strawberries 

 ouly ; intense 

 culture). 



North Ryde, f-acre 



North Ryde, 1-acre 



(strawberries 

 only ; intense 

 culture). 



Marsfield, 50 rods 

 (side crop in 

 orchard). 



Marsfield, 95 rods 

 (side crop in 

 orchard).'! 



1 £ 8. d. £ s. d. *, 8. d. 

 il21 25 Oa 96 



12 

 (Manufactured 

 at home 

 and sold). 



169 15 7 



520 



61 

 (All inferior 

 i- fruit used 

 I at home) 



; |io2 



Not available 



200 Oc 3-20 



Not 



, available 



; 



(a) The punnets and manure cost £20 and water £5. 



(6) A sum of £10 received for autumn leaves is included in the total, but no allowance is made 

 for 6.000 runners used for planting a new bed. 



(c) Including wages paid for extra labour. 



(d) This plot was planted in an old vineyard, in which the clay had been brought to the top ; the 



plot had a southerly aspect. 



Vegetable Growing on the Mukrumbidgee Irrigation 



Areas. 



Vegetable growers on the irrigation areas find that the soil (especially the 

 heavier soil) sets very hard after watering, and requires a great deal of work 

 to bring it to a proper tilth. A dressing of gypsum at the rate of 1 ton 

 ^ per acre has been found to have considerable effect in correcting this 

 tendency. It has been noticed that land so treated shows increased capacity 

 to retain water, and that, unless water is allowed to remain on it for a long 

 period, it does not set. 



The drawback to the use of gypsum seems to be that its application has 

 no lasting effect. Nevertheless, if good results were obtained over a short 

 period, the saving in labour and in water would probably be sufficiently 

 appreciable — especially during the warmer months — to wai-i-ant the use of 

 gypsum in this way. — A. N. Shepuerd, Assistant Inspector of Agriculture. 



