174 



-especially near woods and most particu- 

 larly in time of frost and snow, are merci- 

 less on stems and boughs of young apple 

 trees and in lesser degree to pear, plum 

 and cherry trees. Goats, sheep, cattle and 

 horses may damage trees. There are two 

 methods of wire netting protection against 

 rabbits : (a) netting each tree with a 

 cylindrical piece of netting about 3ft. high 

 and 18ins. in circumference. For this pur- 

 pose the trees need to have trunks clear of 

 branches up to about 3ft. high. One and a 

 half 50ft. rolls of 19 B.W.G. netting, l^in. 

 mesh, is required, costing about £3; with 

 labour costing about £1, equals £4 per acre 

 for 135 trees, or 7d. per tree guard, (b) 

 Other growers prefer surrounding the 

 whole plantation with wire netting. Mr. 

 J. W. Todman, of Borough Green, Kent, 

 in addition to wire netting round his fruit 

 nursery, grows each year a patch of 

 carrots to attract hares and rabbits away 

 from his trees in case they should get 

 ■through. It is necessary to make the gate- 

 ways also rabbit-proof by wire netting 

 the gate and bringing the lowest rail close 

 to the ground, placing a railway sleeper 

 between the posts, sunk level with the 

 ground. 



For standard and half-standard trees in 

 grass the wire netting guards need to be 

 maintained for 10 or more years to protect 

 the trees from sheep. 



Eighteen gauge is often used; 17 gauge 

 is even better, but its present cost might 

 be prohibitive; 19 gauge is too light to be 

 sufficiently durable for fencing purposes. 



Estimated Cost of Wiring 10 Acres. — 

 The wire fencing will probably be erected 

 shortly 'before the trees are planted. Let 

 us suppose a square block of 10 acres is 

 to be enclosed and that there is a roadway 

 down the middle, necessitating la gate at 

 each end; the following gives some idea 

 of the requirements: — 900 yards of 42in. 

 netting, 1-^-in. mesh, 18 gauge (better 17), 

 equals 18 rolls at £2 15s. 5d., £49 17s. 6d. ; 

 thick-set barbed wire, coil wire, 281bs. 

 staples, £3 10s. ; 350 fence posts of chest- 

 nut, 4ft. 6ins. long, points dipped in 

 creosote to ISins., and 33 larger posts, 8ft. 

 long, 4ins. dia. , £6; two 9ft. gates, four 

 gate-posts, £7 10s. ; carriage and cartage of 

 material, say £3 2s. 6d. October — Labour : 

 erecting fence, placing 6ins. of wire netting 

 •underground, sloping outwards to check 



rabbits burrowing under the netting (two 

 men about 21 days), £18. Total for 10 

 acres £88, or per acre £8 16s. 



I understand in practice the cost is 

 about £10 per acre for wire netting fence 

 to exclude rabbit and man. 



Estimated Cost of Manuring. — As 

 strawberries and black currants are to be 

 grown between the fruit trees, probably 

 10 to 40 tons farmyard manure per acre 

 will be used (or else shoddy or fish 

 manure). September. — Twenty loads well- 

 rotted yard manure at 9s. per ton, £9; 

 filling and carting at Is. 6d. per load and 

 spreading at 6d. per load, £2. Total, £11. 

 A heavier dressing would be better if 

 obtainable and the cost could be afforded. 



Cultivations Before Planting. — 

 October. — Steam ploughing with subsoiler 

 attachment £3 10s., coal and water 10s., 

 £4; — or, if after potatoes, ploughing (one 

 man and two horses), £1 12s. 6d. ; each 

 furrow followed by a heavy horse hoe (rne 

 man and two horses), £1 12s. 6d. — two 

 heavy harrowings at 3s 6d. , 7s. ; two light 

 harrowings at 2b. 9d., 5s. 6d. ; rolling, if 

 for strawberries, 3s. 6d. ; collecting and 

 clearing weeds, £1. Total, £5 16s. 



Cost of Fruit Trees and Bushes. — 335 

 bush apple (Bramley, Lane, Lord Derby, 

 Worcester, Allington, Beauty of Bath), 

 two-year old trees at £20 per 100, £27; — 

 (one-year olds at £12 10s. per 100, £16 

 18s.). Note. — Half-standard or standard 

 trees might be planted at 24ft. or 30ft. 

 respectively as permanent plants. — 1,075 

 black currant bushes (say Baldwin), two- 

 year old bushes at £20 per 1,000, £21 10s. 

 (one-year plants at £10 per 1,000, £10 15s.). 

 Total, £48 10s. per acre. 



If one-year-old trees and bushes are 

 purchased (costing, say, £27 13b.) instead 

 of two year olds (costing, say, £48 lOs.) 

 the initial cost is less, but the two year 

 olds are nevertheless recommended as 

 being actually more economical, as sav- 

 ing one year's cultivation, rent, etc. 



Planting Trees and Bushes. — Novem- 

 ber. — Setting out for planting, 10s. ; dig- 

 ging holes for bush apples 18ft. apart, for 

 black currants 6ft. apart, and planting, 

 £4, Total, £4 10s. per acre. 



Plant different varieties of apples row 

 by row to equalise growth and for better 

 cross-pollination. 



An experienced grower wrote me that 



