98 CALSTOCK AND ST. DOMINICK 



Pinks were planted all round the edges of the 

 paths and strawberry beds ; the latter appeared to 

 flourish on an extremely thin, stony soil, which in 

 places barely covered a shaly rock. I also noticed 

 cucumbers and gladioli. Every inch of the land 

 was cultivated. 



Another man had about 5 acres of fruit, on which 

 he made an entire living. He had been a farm- 

 labourer and odd -job man, getting about 18s. a 

 week taking the year through, besides earning 

 extra money at making punnets. He had taken 

 the land when it was under grass, and planted the 

 larger portion of it with fruit and vegetables him- 

 self. He had five small children when he first 

 began, and now the land gives employment to the 

 whole family, as well as to outsiders in picking-time. 

 He had recently paid a boy of fourteen years 15s. 

 for five days' piece-work, and another one of ten 

 years 10s. for five days. 



As an instance of the amount of labour employed 

 on land reclaimed for fruit-growing, as many as 

 200 people have been seen gathering fruit on a 

 tract of land 30 acres in extent which twenty years 

 ago was nothing but coppice. It was let in small 

 plots, and cleared by the tenants, who planted it 

 with strawberries. From being worth 8s. to 10s. an 

 acre, the letting value has now risen to 5 an 

 acre. 



The initial cost of clearing is put at 20 an acre, 

 and the annual weeding comes to 5 an acre. A 

 large amount of town manure from Plymouth is 



