FRUIT-GROWING ON A LARGE SCALE. 



159 



next year. The price of pruning varies according to the size of 

 the bush ; Is. 6cl. per 100 for strong bushes is a fair price, and 

 £9 per acre may be taken as the cost of cultivation, including 

 manure. Red Currants are more regular croppers than Black, 

 but the average crop cannot be taken at more than 2 tons per 

 acre, although I have known 5 tons per acre grown two or three 

 years in succession. There does not seem to be any great de- 

 mand for Red Currants. Much depends on the Raspberry crop, 

 as the two fruits are so much used together, and in a good 

 Raspberry year Red Currants will be more sought after. The 

 average price for the past few years cannot be taken at more 

 than £11 per ton net on stalk. 



Gooseberries. — Of the many different sorts recommended, 

 Whinham's Industry and Berry's Early are good early varieties, 

 with Crown Bob, Lancashire Lad, Warrington, Keepsake, and 

 Whitesmith to follow. The early varieties are all picked green, 

 and of the later sorts about one half of the fruit is picked green, 

 while the other half is left to ripen, Warringtons being the excep- 

 tion ; they are rather a small red berry, grown principally for 

 jam-making, and they are all picked ripe. 



Very heavy crops per acre may be grown ; this season I 

 know of one plantation of Lancashire Lads in which 5 tons 

 per acre were grown, the price realised being £12 per ton. 

 The cost of planting may be taken at £13 per acre, the bushes 

 costing about £5 per 1,000. Pruning full-grown bushes costs 

 from 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. per 100. There are many systems of 

 pruning Gooseberries, some growers hardly cutting the trees at 

 all beyond keeping the centre open ; but I advocate pruning 

 Gooseberries on much the same system as Red Currants, getting 

 the fruit on the spurs ; by this system I think we get a heavier 

 weight per acre. 



Picking costs from Is. 6d. to Is. 9d. per cwt., and cultivation 

 about £10 per acre, including manure. On suitable land the 

 yield should average at least 3 tons per acre, if not 4 tons. 

 Gooseberries like a good soil, not too stiff, and on no account 

 should they be planted on wet land. They will bear heavy 

 dressings of manure. Green Gooseberries average about £11 per 

 ton, and ripe about £9 per ton. 



Nuts. — The Kentish Cobnut is the best, if not the only Nut 

 to grow. At Toddington we have some twenty acres, planted in 



