Farm Prize Competition, 1911. 323 



ten to twenty-five years old, as they are ten years old before 

 they come into full bearing. 



The first holding has been used as a fruit farm for nine 

 years and has been in Mr. Warren's occupation for seven years; 

 the second holding for one year, Mr. Warren having occupied 

 it for three years, and the third for four years, the present 

 holder having had it for five years. All the fruit trees were 

 sprayed five times last season, three times with Herrod's apple- 

 sucker wash and twice with Herrod's scab wash, though the 

 scab wash was probably quite unnecessary, a dry season like 

 the past summer being in itself the best preventive of scab and 

 brown rot. Canker and " die-hack " are the two diseases with 

 which the trees are always troubled to some extent. Canker 

 is cleaned out with a knife and die-back is checked by the 

 ends of the branches being cut off an inch or two into the 

 live wood. These complaints possibly arise through the land 

 being badly underdrained, a very bad fault on fruit-growing 

 land. 



The gooseberry bushes are subject to red spider {Bryohia 

 prcetiosa), and American mildew. As soon as red spider is 

 observed, the bushes are dressed twice with an emulsion of soft 

 soap, soda and parafifin. The wood on the bushes suffering 

 from American mildew is clipped off early in the season. 



All the fruit trees are washed with lime and salt every 

 three years and a large quantity of lime is used on the land. 

 The soil of number three holding has just been analysed, 

 and, although it received 15 tons of lime three years ago, it 

 now needs a dressing of 1^ tons of fresh slaked lime to the 

 acre. 



The strawberries are' chiefly Paxtons, with a few Royal 

 Sovereigns, Laxtons and Bedfordshire Champions. Paxtons 

 are an old sort, but firm of fiesh, of fine flavour and splendid 

 for travelling. They do best on this land, and. are, according 

 to Mr. Warren, undoubtedly the finest strawberries grown 

 to-dav. Royal Sovereigns are an excellent all-round variety 

 and Laxtons are considered by their raisers to be superior to 

 Royal Sovereigns. All the fruit goes to Manchester to one 

 salesman who generally buys the strawberries outright and 

 occasionally the other fruit as well, if not, he sells it on com- 

 mission on the usual terms. Mr. Warren finds it better to deal 

 with one man only, as in this way he gets better terms for his 

 fruit. 



The labour bill amounts to 225Z. and manures (including 

 lime) to 31Z. 10s. Mr. Warren informs us that he has had 

 a very good year both with regard to yield and prices and he 

 looks on the dry summer they had as a Godsend to fruit- 

 growers. 



Y 2 



