70 MARKET NURSERY WORK 



It may or it ma}' not pay well. To grow it for certain profit, 

 it should be made a main or routine crop of, so that sufficient 

 quantities may be produced to make it worth while sending to 

 market. As a " catch crop," grown in odd places, all that can be 

 looked for is two or three punnets at a time which sell at fancy 

 prices. But after all said and done, there is no reason why a 

 grower should not make a 5 note for himself with little trouble. 



For forcing, the young runners, from maidens, should be 

 pegged down into small pots early in July. At the end of August 

 they should be lifted, and without disturbing the roots, potted 

 into 6-inch pots and stood on a bed of ashes in the full sunshine. 

 Water and syringe to keep off red spider and nip off any incipient 

 runners. Every plant will, so grown, make a good crown, 

 strong enough to produce a really fine truss of bloom, after which 

 the fruit comes as a matter of course with proper care. 



When sharp weather conies, they should be stowed in frames 

 or a cold house until time to take them in to heat, which 

 probably will not be till the beginning of February. Then they 

 must be set on shelves near the glass, to enjoy the full benefit 

 of the light. Soon the crowns burst, new leaves and afterwards 

 the bloom appears, and, setting, forms the fruit. A sharp 

 look-out must be kept for that omnipotent enemy the red spider, 

 which can only be kept in check by the syringe. 



Support must be given to the truss, and as the fruit swells 

 a watering with liquid manure or a dressing of a suitable 

 fertiliser will materially assist it. The plants must never want 

 for water or the swelling of the fruit will be checked and a poor 

 sample of fruit the result. Ordinarily, half a dozen medium- 

 sized fruit from each plant constitutes a crop. 



Directly the crop on any plant is finished, it may be consigned 

 to the rubbish heap, for if kept in the house and neglected, 

 red spider will find it and make of it a home. 



