318 The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



in the pink of condition will find Strawberry culture to be one 

 of the most profitable lines in his business ; the more so if he 

 extends his season by forwarding an early variety on the one 

 hand and grows a breadth of a late variety on the other, and 

 so evades the necessity of having to offer the whole of his crop 

 for sale at the time of greatest general production. 



Locality. As indicated above, the locality of the plantation 

 is a matter of the utmost importance not necessarily in the 

 production of the fruit, but in relation to its disposal. The 

 Strawberry is a soft fruit and will not bear rough handling or 

 close confinement in masses for more than a very short time. 

 To be at its best it should be disposed of early in the same day 

 it is gathered almost before the morning dew has dried upon 

 it, and whilst its bloom and brilliant colour are unimpaired. 

 To secure this condition in perfection the fruit needs gathering 

 soon after daybreak, packing immediately, and despatching by 

 road to its destination, where it should arrive by 8 a.m. or soon 

 after, without re-handling. If such an ideal situation is not 

 possible, the next best is one in close proximity to a main line 

 of railway, where there is a suitable service of through trains, 

 preferably those with fruit vans attached. By this means the 

 fruit can be put upon the market in good condition early in the 

 same day it is gathered, with a minimum of re-handling and 

 consequent damage from shaking and rough usage. In places 

 where the railway service is direct but not convenient for 

 delivery of the fruit early enough to be disposed of at that day's 

 market, it may be made fairly satisfactory by gathering and 

 packing the fruit when quite dry, before the evening dew 

 begins to fall, and despatching it by a train which will ensure 

 delivery of the packages soon after the opening of the market 

 the following morning. The worst possible situation which 

 can be selected for the culture is one remote from populous 

 centres, from which there is no possibility of direct delivery 

 by road, either to market or to shops, and where the only 

 available outlet is by a branch line of railway. Under such 

 circumstances the fruit, however carefully it may be packed, 

 is frequently ruined by delays and rough handling ; in the 

 numerous changes of vehicles or trains to which it is subjected 

 before it finally arrives at its destination, it gets so jolted and 



