266 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 



the jam has lately been made in the shape of a vacuum pan, where, after the 

 syrup and fruit have been put in, the air is exhausted during the boiling. 

 This method is said to be the best for preserving the real flavour of the fruit. 

 Every department in the factory, in which there are about 70 or 80 hands 

 employed, was visited under the personal direction of Mr. Wilkin, the party 

 being struck with the cleanliness and order that prevailed everywhere. 

 Then the visitors wended their way to the strawberry fields, in one of which 

 were about 150 pickers — men, women, and children — at work. A great many 

 of these ccme from the neighbourhood ; others are of a nomadic type, who 

 generally manage to find their way to Tiptree by the fruit picking season, and 

 sometimes there are 300 or 400 pickers employed at one time. They are all paid 

 by piece-work, so much per pound, and the children, who are the most expert 

 at the work, can earn as much as 6s. or 7s. a-day. The members of the 

 party were kindly permitted to pick among the strawberries, and availed them- 

 selves gladly of the opportunity of sampling some luscious fruit. One 

 of the features of the farm is the manner in which the fields are irrigated, 

 the water being pumped up from a stream some distance off at the rate of 

 about 3,500 gallons an hour, and dispersed by means of hydrants and stand- 

 pipes. There are at present 78 acres of strawberries, 27 of raspberries, 20 of 

 black currants, 12 of red currants, 10 of gooseberries, and a few acres of such 

 fruits as cherries, damsons, &c. In the busiest part of the season about 40 

 to 50 tons of fruit are picked in a week, and converted into jam or preserved 

 in other ways. 



At the end of a most interesting tour of inspection, the conductors led 

 the way to Mr. Wilkin's residence, the homestead of the farm, where on the 

 lawn a large marquee had been erected, and Mrs. Wilkin, her daughters and 

 sons, presided over a sumptuous tea, the staple at Tiptree, " strawberries and 

 cream," of course occupying a very prominent place among the good things 

 provided by our thoughtful host and hostess. 



Mr. W. Cole, just before the close of the repast, on behalf of the Club, 

 asked the party to accord to Mr. Wilkin and his family a hearty vote of thanks 

 for his kindly welcome and hospitality. This was seconded by the Hon. 

 Charles Strutt, M.P., and carried by acclamation. 



Mr. Wilkin replied, and expressed his pleasure, and that of his colleagues 

 of the Company, at the visit of the Essex Field Club. 



Prior to departing from the parish of Tiptree, what remains now of the 

 real Heath was diligently explored. It is really very well worth the trouble, 

 and in a very short time specimens of the following species were to be found 

 in the baskets and vascula of the plant-hunters : — 



Erica Utralix, with tvhite variety Senecio jacobaa 

 ,, cinerea ,. sylvaticus 



Galium saxatik Salix repens 



mollugo Hieracimn borcalc (?) 



rulygala vulgaris Potentilla tormentilla 



Orchis maculata Stachys betonica 



Achillea ptarmica, with galls of Teucrium scorodunia 

 Hormomyia ptarmiae (see E. N., i., 177) 



Nardus stricta Trifolium filifurme 



Montia fontana Thymus serpyllum 



Veronica scutclluta Ranunculus Jlamuhi 



