1921.] Horticulture in Penzance. 



747 



averages from three to four tons per acre, but in a dry season 

 it is considerably less. 



Bulbs form an important crop on most of the small holdings ; 

 in some cases these are well cultivated and kept clean, but 

 in others the bulb' areas are allowed to become over-grown with 

 weeds and rank grass. Sometimes the bulbs are grazed by 

 horses or the areas mown and made into hay: these practices, 

 however, cannot tend to the general welfare of the bulbs. The 

 best growers apply top dressings of mellowed seaweed and 

 other decayed vegetable matter as well as chemicals, and 

 periodically lift and replant their bulb areas. Growers who 

 force early potatoes and bulbs under glass take a crop of 

 tomatoes in the houses during the summer. The forcing of 

 Arum Lilies (Calla Ethiopica) is also very profitable, as the 

 flowers have made high prices for the last four years; they 

 bloom naturally in the open in April, but under glass they 

 flower at Christmas and onward. 



Fruit Trees. — In the valleys a considerable amount of orchard 

 fruit, mainly apples, is grown. The trees receive practically 

 no attention in the way of pruning, spraying or manuring, and 

 they are old, stunted and lichen-covered. The varieties of 

 apples are out of date on the majority of the holdings. Keswick 

 Codlin and local seedlings predominating. It must not be 

 assumed, however, that the district is unsuitable for fruit grow- 

 ing. Several young plantations which were examined, proved 

 that modern varieties. of apple and pear, bush trees on paradise 

 and quince stocks, will grow and fruit satisfactorily when given 

 proper attention. AW classes of small fruit can also be success- 

 fully grown, particularly raspberries and gooseberries. Wind 

 is again the factor which has to be guarded against, and unless 

 shelter can be obtained, it is little use attempting top fruit. 



Manuring the Potato Crop. — The supply of plant food to the 

 soil forms a very important part of the cultivation, especially 

 where a crop has to make rapid growth in a short growing 

 season. The greatest attention is paid to this operation, but 

 in the absence of experimental data there is room for doubt as 

 to whether the system of manuring generally adopted is on 

 sound lines. The usual custom is to accumulate a stock of 

 natural manure which consists of seaweed, leaves, town manure, 

 fish offal and any other decaying matter. If live stock of any 

 description is kept, the manure made by them is incorporated. 

 The whole mass is made into a compost heap (midden) at some 

 convenient spot on the holding. In the construction of the 



