CHAPTER XI. 

 GOOSEBERRY, AND RED AND BLACK CURRANT. 



Prepakation of Land for Small Fruits. 



To be successful with small fruits, the 

 soil must be good, well situated, fertile, 

 clean from weeds, and well cultivated. A 

 good working soil is a great asset. For 

 strawberries, raspberries, and bush fruit 

 on arable land, the best practice consists 

 in applying some 30 tons of dung per 

 acre, or 20 tons with the addition of arti- 

 ficials, then ploughing seven inches deep 

 with three or four horses, following each 

 furrow with a heavy brake drawn by two 

 horses to subsoil the ground, stirring it 

 some four or five inches deeper. This is 

 the method followed by some of the best 

 growers ; it is almost equivalent to trench- 

 ing, and costs much less. Steam cultiva- 

 tion to stir the soil may be employed if a 

 large area is to be planted. 



The Gooseberry. 



This fruit used to be regarded as 

 the hardiest and most regular bearer of 

 our fruits, but the advent and spread of 



the American gooseberry mildew is a 

 national disaster. Before planting, the 

 land should be well cleaned, dunged, and 

 deeply worked. The bushes are usually 

 planted about 5 ft. apart, or, if large 

 growing kinds, on good soil up to 6 ft. 



Mr. Fred Neame, of Faversham, kindly 

 supplied me with the actual cost per acre 

 of planting four acres, which was as 

 follows : — 



Cost per Acre of Planting 

 Gooseberries (Pre-war). 



Ploughing 



Setting out ground for planting S^ft. 



X 5^ft. 



Cost of 1,512 two-year-old bushes at 



9s. per 100 with carriage 



Planting 



Twenty loads of dung at 4s 



Carting out and mulching at Is. l^d. 







5 



6 17 



17 

 4 



1 2 



Total cost per acre 



£14 2 6 



Note. — At the present time the cost would 

 probably be 130 per cent, more than this. 



Mangolds were planted between the 

 rows, and this helped to pay the expenses 

 of summer work. The price of 9s. per 

 100 for gooseberries was a very moderate 

 one; 12s. was more usual, and sometimes 

 14s. per 100 for market sorts. The second 

 year's cultivation cost about £4 per 

 acre, exclusive of rent, including 3s. 

 for pruning. The crop the second year 

 may be six half-bushels of green goose- 

 berries. Strawberries are frequently 

 grown with gooseberries for the first four 

 or five years. 



Annual Cost of Cultivating 

 Gooseberries (Pre-war). 



Lancashtre Lad " Gooseberry. 



(November to February) Pruning 



Clearing cuttings .-. 



Each alternate year 20 tons dung with 

 cartage, £6 lis. 8d. ; wheeling on 

 and spreading, 10s.; — £7 Is. 8d. 

 Half cost 



3 10 10 



