1909.] Small Fruit Growing in Kent. 



633 



direct from the ground, new growth of strong young boughs 

 is readily obtained. 



The usual plan for picking gooseberries is to make the 

 pickings as thinnings of the berries, picking the largest and 

 leaving the smaller ones; thus for green gooseberries the 

 bushes may be gone over three times if the crop is good. 

 Ripe gooseberries are usually picked all at one picking. 



Green gooseberries travel well, and the package and 

 handling is not troublesome, but ripe gooseberries are very 

 tender, and need care in handling and quick sale. A planta- 

 tion that will yield two tons green will probably give three 

 tons ripe, but it usually pays best to sell them green ; green 

 gooseberries are the first fruit picked when labour is plentiful, 

 whereas the pickers are busy with other fruits when the 

 gooseberries are ripe. The crop in Kent usually varies from 

 about 1 j- up to 3 tons of ripe berries in mature plantations. 



Red Currants. — The cost of planting and first year's culti- 

 vation of red currants is approximately as follows : — 



£ s. d. 



(Autumn) manuring with 20 tons dung at 6s. Sd. ... ... ... 613 4 



Ploughing, twice cultivating, 4 harrowings ... ... ... ... 230 



Marking out for planting in two directions ... ... ... ... 040 



(November) 1,743 reo ^ currant bushes at 6s. per 100... ... ... 5 4 7 



Digging holes 1 foot square at 5 feet apart, woman carrying bushes, 



man planting bushes, .is. Sd. per 100 ... ... ... ... 190 



(April to September) horse-hoeing four times at 35. ... ... ... 012 o 



Hand-hoeing four times at $s. ... ... ... ... ... ... 100 



Rent, rates, taxes, and other expenses ... ... ... ... ... 2100 



The annual cost of cultivation of red currants per acre is 

 approximately as follows : — 



£ s. d. 



(November) pruning ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 120 



Clearing cuttings ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 050 



Digghng with fork 100 



(April to September) hand-hoeing four times 180 



(August) picking 2 tons of red currants at 6d. per 24 lbs 413 4 



Packing 187 half-bushels at 2s. per 100 ... 039 



Carriage, i6.r. per ton ... .. ... ... ... ... ... 1 12 o 



Sale expenses, 4^. per half-bushel ... ... ... ... .., 324 



Rent, rates, taxes 2 10 o 



Cost 



- £i$ 



16 



5 



Receipt, 2 tons red currants at £10 10s 



... £21 



0 



0 



Profit, to cover cost of planting, superintendence, &c. ... 



£5 



3 



7 



Some fourteen years ago the price of red currants was so 

 low as not to pay for picking and carriage, and a great many 



Y Y 



