FOR PROFIT. 103 



spare time in winter ; the greater rainfall in the North 

 doubtless settles the soil in that district, and thus 

 what would be a wrong practice elsewhere, is a success 

 in Scotland. 



In the Evesham district, the general practice is to 

 plant 30 by 18 inches, and to retain a plantation four 

 or five years. Sir Charles Napier and Paxton are grown 

 for punnet work, and Stirling Castle and the old Scarlet 

 Carolina Pine or Grove End for jam ; the latter, although 

 small, making the best preserve, the fruit keeping its 

 whole condition and colour. In recent years. Royal 

 Sovereign has taken the lead, and heavy crops of 

 The Laxton, Climax, etc., are grown, but Royal 

 Sovereign is the best all round berry. The picking 

 lasts about five weeks, and planting is done in early 

 autumn and spring. After the crop is gathered, the 

 runners and spare foliage are removed by bagging 

 hooks, and the mulch taken off. Hoeing is then done 

 by hand or horses, and the plantations are left till 

 the spring. 



Cornwall supplies the first market Strawberries ; 

 Alice Maud is their best early ; President, Paxton and 

 Royal Sovereign for main crop (but the Southampton 

 and Botley growers have lately been quite as early 

 producers). President carries badly, and is used for 

 home markets. The Cornish plant is closer than 

 others — 20 by 14 inches for Alice Maud, and 26 by 16 

 inches for others. From the nature of the soil, possibly, 

 and in consequence of copious manuring and more 

 frequent rains, the Cornish beds last as long as fifteen 

 years. This greatly adds to profit. A friend there 

 picks 100 tons a day. When it is considered that no 

 jam is made, this represents a large quantity of pound 



