156 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



room for the plants to pass between. On light land a moulding 

 plough is run down the rows and the soil turned to the plants ; 

 this protects the crowns during winter, and a turn with the 

 scuffle in the spring levels it down again. An American imple- 

 ment, called the "Planet horse-hoe," is most useful in Straw- 

 berry fields, or, in fact, in any fruit plantation ; it can be put 

 to so many purposes, and, although light and fragile to look at, 

 it is in reality wonderfully strong. 



The price of picking varies from 3d. to 6d. per dozen lbs., 

 according to the crop, and the average annual returns may be 

 taken at two tons per acre, at £20 per ton net. The beds last 

 five to six years, after which the plants begin to fail, and should 

 be grubbed up. Before planting the same crop again it is ad- 

 visable to have one year's fallow ; a crop of Turnips can be grown 

 and fed off with sheep, or the Turnips may be ploughed in as 

 manure. The last two seasons' fruit has sold at considerably 

 higher prices — last year owing to the drought, and this year to 

 the frost. The earliest crop is sent to market in punnets, the 

 main crop in peck baskets of 12 lbs. each ; or, if for jam, they 

 are often sent in tubs, picked without the stalk. I have heard 

 this season of 170 tons of Strawberries being bought in one 

 district by a large jam-maker ; this shows the very large demand 

 that there is for this fruit. The foreigner has not yet been able 

 to place fresh Strawberries on our breakfast-table, and I do not 

 see how it will ever be possible for him to do so. Strawberries 

 for eating must be fresh gathered, and, if possible, picked in the 

 early morning for consumption the same day ; the growers near 

 towns have a great advantage, as they are able to do this. At 

 latest the fruit must be on the market the day after it is picked. 



Strawberries are an expensive crop to cultivate ; the cultiva- 

 tion and manure, exclusive of picking, will amount to £10 per 

 acre, though it must be borne in mind that if the Strawberries, 

 or any other bush-fruit, are in a mixed plantation with tree-fruit 

 above, the whole of the labour must not be charged against the 

 Strawberries. 



Baspberries. — Kaspberries like a good friable loam ; they will 

 not thrive on a thin soil, nor do they do well on stiff clay land. 

 Carter's Prolific, Semper Fidelis, and Superlative are all good 

 sorts for market. The first-named is a free cropper. Semper 

 Fidelis is more acid, a good cropper, and keeps on bearing late 



