192 Strawberry Growing in Hampshire, [june, 



of package known as the "chip." The buyer has objected to 

 the trouble of returning the wicker baskets or paying a charge 

 of 2d. in lieu thereof, and the new form of chip basket bids 

 fair to meet this difficulty. These baskets contain a definite 

 and uniform weight, and it is suggested that they should 

 be sold with the fruit at an inclusive price, a practice largely 

 adopted by the majority of Continental growers. The cost 

 of the baskets, which amounts to id. each when purchased in 

 50 gross lots, will, it is contended, be amply covered by the 

 extra price realised, owing to the buyers knowing exactly 

 what weight of fruit they are purchasing. Further, many 

 growers maintain that the fruit is damaged during transit 

 when packed in the wicker baskets, their rough and irregular 

 interiors bruising the fruit inside; the chip basket, made 

 of smooth light veneer certainly obviates this difficulty and 

 presents a much safer and more compact form of package. 



Insect Pests.— Like all other plants which are raised to a 

 high standard of cultivation, strawberries are assailed by a 

 variety of insect pests, among the most prevalent and destruc- 

 tive of which is the wireworm. Where new ground is broken 

 up and not over-deeply trenched, the grubs commence their 

 ravages on newly-formed plantations, and continue to work 

 havoc among the roots so long as the plantations exist. When 

 new plantations immediately succeed old ones, the young 

 plants are often completely destroyed. A good dressing with 

 gas-lime at the time of preparing the plantation is the only 

 effectual means of ridding badly infested areas of these pests. 

 The poisonous nature of some of the constituents of this waste 

 product, however, renders it necessary to allow a period of 

 rest of about four months before commencing planting 

 operations. 



The Green Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata), locally known as 

 the Rookworm, is of a still more injurious character to the 

 roots of strawberry plants. As a grub it feeds on the roots, 

 while in the perfect state as a beetle it causes considerable 

 injury to the blossoms by piercing a hole just below the 

 flower buds, causing them to become detached from the 

 parent plant. 



In some districts very considerable damage has been 

 wrought by the maggots of the Vine Weevil (Otiorhynchus 



