1909] Strawberry Growing in Hampshire. 189 



It is customary to apply liberal dressings of manure to the 

 ground before planting, in many cases as much as 20 to 30 

 tons of London manure being given. The average cost of 

 this manure is about 6s. 6d. to 6s. gd. per ton, strawy stable 

 manure being rather more than that composed of peat moss 

 litter, in addition to which 2s. per ton for haulage to the 

 ground, and from 2s. to 3s. per acre for spreading, must be 

 allowed for, the average cost of manuring per acre working 

 out at something like £12. 



The cost of runners varies according to variety and quality, 

 specially layered plants costing from 10s. to 155. per 1,000, 

 while "runabouts" (ordinary runners) may be bought for 5s. 

 per 1,000. Assuming that there is less waste entailed in the 

 purchase of stocky runners, and that weaklings are often 

 planted together, the average cost of plants per acre is from 

 £4. to £8, 12,500 to 16,000 plants being required for each 

 acre of ground. If planted 2 ft. apart, nearly 1 1,000 plants are 

 required per acre, but the distances between the rows and 

 between the plants in the row vary considerably, and, in some 

 instances, rows 30 in. apart, and 12 to 15 in. from plant to 

 plant, are common, while in other cases "Paxtons" and 

 "Nobles" are planted 2 ft. from row to row, and 1 ft. from 

 plant to plant, in which case nearly 22,000 plants per acre are 

 required. 



After Cultivation and Life of Beds. — Pending the arrival 

 of harvest time, considerable expense will be necessitated, 

 especially on small holdings, where the greater part of the 

 work is performed by hand. Where land is infested with 

 weed seeds, and therefore liable to become foul very quickly, 

 three hoeings are often necessary before the crop comes into 

 profitable bearing, and each hoeing will cost as much as £3 

 per acre. In other words, the cost of keeping the ground 

 free from weeds and removing runners from the time of 

 planting to the period when the fruit is fit for gathering — 

 on an average between twenty and twenty-one months — will 

 amount to approximately £g to £12. 



The large majority of growers are adopting more hygienic 

 principles as regards the bedding of their crops before the 

 gathering season arrives. There is no objection to the bed- 

 ding with manure provided that it be of a wholesome char- 



