664 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
August 19, 1905. 
[Bx Rosecomb.] 
Ducks and Green Peas. 
There is a close affinity between the birds 
which form my theme this week and The 
Gardening World. “ Duck and green peas. 
Where is the epicure who does not smack his 
lips in joyful anticipation when these magic 
words are uttered ! Even those who do not live 
to eat, and are not at all hard to please in 
regard to their gastronomic desires, hear the 
words with pleasure. "W ho can blame them, 
for what is nicer than a well-fed young cluck- 
ling and some well-grown green peas? >'hy, 
it is a dish fit for a king. 
Duck Raising. 
Within the past few years much more atten¬ 
tion has been given to duck raising than 
formerly, and in some neighbourhoods it is 
quite an industry. For many years the 
Aylesbury district has been as famed for its 
ducks as Sussex for its fowls, but of late other 
districts have entered largely into competition 
with the Buckinghamshire breeders, namely, 
Lancashire, NoTfolk, Suffolk, and Cornwall. 
It is said on pretty reliable authority that one 
Lancashire breeder in the Fylde district sends 
to market upwards of 20,000 ducklings a year. 
Considering the Season. 
In a district where there is “ a season, ’ either 
summer, autumn, or winter, it will well repay 
anyone with a bit of spare land to turn then 
attention to duck raising. If there is a pond 
or running stream at hand so much the better, 
but it is not absolutely needful. I know one 
breeder in the North of England, close to one of 
our large industrial centres, who almost keeps 
himself and family out of the money made from 
raising ducks on about three-quarters ot an 
acre to an acre of ground. I say almost, 
because he keeps some fowls besides, but duck 
raising is his forte, and it is quite possible did 
I know the inner secrets of his business that 
I should find the living was made out of the 
ducks alone. Now on this ground there is 
neither pond nor stream, yet his ducks feather 
ouickly, put on flesh fast, and are ready tor 
market when about twelve weeks old. He uses 
hens for hatching, and commences to push the 
ducklings along from the time they are hatched, 
and this is the only way to make duck breeding 
pay. From the moment they are hatched till 
the time they are marketed they must be 
forced; that is if it is desired to make them 
profitable. Some writers say running watei or 
a pond are absolutely essential to duck raising. 
This man’s experience—and I have known him 
for nearly twenty years—proves it is not. 
Marketable Age. 
I spoke of districts which have a season. 
It should be the object of the breeder to have 
marketable ducklings during the season, when¬ 
ever that may be. If it is in the spring it 
means that the ducks must be pushed forward, 
and all the eggs obtainable in January and 
February should be set. If the season is latei, 
then later-hatched birds will be needed. But 
the °Teat thing to remember is that from ten 
to twelve weeks is the age at which ducklings 
should be fit to kill, and when fit at that age 
they are profitable, but every week after that 
age that a duckling is kept so much the less 
profitable does it become : in fact it is eating 
the profit. 
In places where there is no pond or stream 
of water the ducks must be allowed free access 
to large tubs of water. The best breed for 
marketing purposes is the Aylesbury. It 
grows fast, it has a large frame, it carries 
plenty of succulent, juicy meat, and its skin is 
of a hue which attracts dainty housewives. 
Method Required. 
Duck breeding is an industry which necessi¬ 
tates the exercise of much common sense. It 
will not stand any happy-go-lucky, haphazard 
methods. Everything connected with it must 
be conducted on sensible, methodical lines. 
The local needs of the market must be con¬ 
sidered, and where these are dominated by “ a 
season ” one’s great efforts must be directed, to 
having plenty of ducklings ready at that time 
of the year. If the local market be a regular 
one all the year round matters are considerably 
simplified, as the concentration of effort is not 
so great. In addition to the market the table 
qualities of the breed selected must be con¬ 
sidered, and the question of economically 
feeding the stock, but of this more in my next. 
WEEKLY PRIZE COMPETITION. 
- RESULT - 
The prize in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “H. W.,” for his article on “The 
Orange,” p. 645. 
A prize for a supplementary reply was 
awarcled toi“ Herbert H. Morris” for his article 
on “ American Blight on Apple Trees,” p. 644 ; 
and another to “Heather Bell ” for his article 
on “Tomato Growing,” p. 644. 
▼TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT 
STRAWBERRIES 
- FOR - 
SUCCESSION. 
In large establishments, where a constant 
supply of choice dessert has to be maintained, 
it is no uncommon thing to find ripe Straw¬ 
berries on the table practically the whole year 
round ; but, of course, in such places expense 
is quite a secondary consideration in obtain¬ 
ing this desideratum. With people of small 
means, however, their season is all too short, 
generally extending over a few weeks only. I 
will therefore endeavour to explain how they 
may be grown for at least two or three con¬ 
secutive months in the open garden. There 
are two important points in their culture 
first, the selection of suitable varieties ; 
secondly, the way in which they are employed. 
Supposing the garden to be on the level, or, 
at least, affording no sloping borders to north 
or south, then a start should be made by 
throwing up a ridge running due east and 
west, giving a gradient of about 1 ft. in 4 ft. 
on the north side, "while the south side should 
slope away as gradually as possible. 
Strawberries will generally do well in any 
good garden soil, but a good, rich, slightly 
retentive loam suits them best. Before plant¬ 
ing, the ground should be deeply dug, and a 
liberal quantity of well-decomposed manure 
should be worked in. 
Planting.—Early autumn is the best time 
to plant, always selecting the finest and best- 
rooted crowns, or runners.; this operation 
should be performed when the soil is in a 
fairly dry state, not pasty. The question of 
varieties is rather complex, there being so 
many from which to choose, but the following 
varieties I have found answer the purpose 
well -.—King of the Earlies, Royal Sovereign, 
President, Trafalgar, Climax, Jubilee, and 
St. Antoine de Padoue (perpetual). These 
varieties, if planted in the order given, will 
carry on a succession from the latter end of 
May to the middle or end of July ; they 
should be planted in an open situation, prefer¬ 
ably on the southern side of the lidge before 
mentioned, “ provided that the ground does 
not slope to any appreciable extent,” as this 
will be keeping them together. 
I will now return to the north side of the 
ridge ; here may be planted Trafalgar, Climax, 
Jubilee, and St. Antoine de Padoue. These 
will come in when their neighbours on the 
other side are getting past, and here perhaps 
I ought to state that the object of this north 
border is to keep the ground cool, and thereby 
retard the plants. Some people plant on the 
north side of a high wall, but I do not recom- 
mend this practice, as a liigh wall not only 
obscures the sun, but the light also, whereas 
with the system I advocate the maximum of 
light and the minimum of sun heat is ob¬ 
tained. 
The occupants of this slope will carry the 
supply on for some time longer ; the latter 
variety, especially, being a perpetual, will 
continue to fruit until quite late in the season. 
The cultivator will, of course, use his own 
discretion as to how many of each variety he 
will plant, but Royal Sovereign and President 
may be termed the mid-season or main crop 
varieties, the former being, I think, the 
heaviest cropper known. President also is by 
no means a light cropper, while for flavour I 
think it cannot be beaten. 
For continuing the supply still further in 
the season, see , article on the subject in 
“ G. W.,” May 6th, 1905, entitled “Perpetual 
Strawberries in Pots.” E. Lawrence. 
N.B.-—-The dates given above are intended 
for the West of England only ; allowance must 
therefore be made for the North. 
AUSIi ROO/A 
CULTURE. 
About a fortnight before a bed is required 
to be made, droppings intermixed with a small 
quantity of short dung are shaken from the 
outsides of a dung heap, laid up in a shed, 
and mixed with about one-fourth part of 
moderately dry loamy soil, an operation 
which is performed wherever droppings can 
be attained, until sufficient is collected for a 
bed. Tliis is turned over frequently, in order 
to incorporate the dung and soil and keep it 
from fermenting. It is essential to the cer¬ 
tain productions of good crops of well- 
flavoured Mushrooms that the droppings be 
got as fresh and as dry as possible, and laid 
in an open shed, freely given to the air, pro¬ 
tected from wet, and never allowed to ferment. 
In forming the beds, make them very solid — 
you cannot make them too solid. There will 
he no danger of violent heat; it seldom 
reaches above 80 deg. The bed is ready to 
receive spawn about a week after making it. 
The operation of the spawning is by digging a 
hole with the hand, about 2 in. deep, and then 
inserting a piece about the size of a lien’s egg, 
and tightly pressing the soil which was dis¬ 
placed over it. The holes should be about 
6 in. or 8 in. apart. The Mushrooms will be 
up about six weeks after setting, and bear 
for two or three months. If you increase the 
heat, do not forget to increase the supply of 
water. Having done this myself, I find this 
an easy and successful experiment. 
J. Alexander. 
Main Ridge, Boston, Lines. 
