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Red Currants. 'The cost of planting and first year's cultivation 



of red currants is approximately as follows: 



s. s. 



(Autumn) manuring with 20 tons dung at 6.?. $>d. . 6 13 4 



Ploughing, twice cultivating, 4 harrowings .... 2 3 o 



Marking out for planting in two directions .... o 4 o 



(November) i 743 red currant bushes, at 6s. per 100 5 4 7 

 Digging holes i foot square at 5 feet apart, woman 



carrying bushes, man planting bushes, is. &/. 



per 100 19 



(April to September) horse-hoeing four times at 3*. . o 12 o 



Hand hoeing four times at 5^ l 



Rent, rates, taxes, and other expenses 2 10 o 



Total ... 19 15 ii 



The annual cost of cultivation of red currants per acre is approx- 

 imately as follows: 



s. d. 



(November) pruning I 2 



Clearing cuttings 5 



Digging with fork I 



(April to September) hand-hoeing four times . . i 8 o 

 (August) picking 2 tons of red currants at 6d. per 



24 Ibs 4 13 4 



Packing 187 half-bushels at 2s. per 100 . .039 



Carriage, i6s. per ton i 12 o 



Sale expenses, 4^. per half-bnshel . . - 3 2 4 



Rent, rates, taxes 2 I0 



Cost . . . 15 16 5 



Receipt, 2 tons red currants at 10 los 21 o o 



Profit, to cover cost of planting, superintendence, etc. 537 



Some fourteen years ago the price of red currants was so low 

 as not to pay for picking and carriage, and a great many acres 

 were consequently grubbed; but since then the price has paid 

 expenses, and they have been moderately remunerative. The red 

 currant is almost always grown as a bush on a " leg " or main 

 stem, with four or five branches often forking at a short distance 



