THE COMMERCIAL ASPECT OP HARDY FRUIT GROWING. 305 
lings or rooted cuttings, 5s. to IO5. per 100. Kaspberries vary from 
15s. to 20s. per 100, or plants of the commoner varieties from 
20s. to 50s. per 1,000. Strawberries, strong plants in pots, from 
15s. to 40s. per 100, novelties reaching 60s. ; but for established 
runners the price may be 5s. to 10s. per 100. Filberts can be 
purchased at £2 per 100. 
Planting. — On moderately retentive land that has not been 
specially dug or trenched, preparing stations for well-developed 
Apples, Pears, or Plums, allowing 2 feet square for each, and 
breaking the base of the station with a fork, costs 2s. per 100, or 
by day work it will cost rather more. For bush fruits, stations 
1 foot square, under the same conditions, will cost Is. per 100. 
On land properly prepared a short time before planting, the 
cost will be nearly 50 per cent. less. A man and boy, or two 
men, should follow closely to plant both trees and bushes. 
Only really reliable men should be entrusted with this work, 
and they should be paid by the day. An active man, with 
assistance, can plant 100 to 150 dwarf Apples and Pears in a 
day, or double the number of bush fruits and Strawberries. 
The expense of staking need only be incurred with standard 
trees, and it may cost from 2cl. to Qd. a tree, including pre- 
paring the stakes, tarring, and tying, but will vary according to 
the material employed. 
EouTiNE Costs. 
Hoeing is one of the principal operations connected with 
fruit culture, and in ordinary soil this costs 4s. to 5s. an acre, 
the total expense per annum depending upon the condition 
of the land. About six times a year may be taken as the 
average for the first season or two ; but if the land be foul with 
twitch, bell-bine, or thistles, forking will also be needed, which 
is best done by ordinary day labour. 
Peuning. — This is often paid for per hundred or thousand 
bushes or trees, but preferably it should be done by a trained 
regular daily or weekly hand. The cost for bush fruits will 
be 20s. to 30s. an acre, Black Currants being the cheapest and 
Gooseberries the most expensive. For Apples, Pears, or Plums 
the cost will depend upon* their size and condition. 
Spkaying. — As the most effectual means of contending with 
the numerous insect pests that affect fruit trees and bushes, 
