Abstract
JUDGED on the basis of commercial acreage, the cultivation of small fruits in Great Britain is not great iff comparison with other classes of crops. In 1939 the total area devoted to berried fruits in England and Wales was 47,000 acres, and the restrictions of war-time reduced this to 33,000 acres in 1944. This is very small compared with the 250,000 acres of so-called ‘top’ fruits, apples, pears, plums and cherries. Nevertheless, the high economic returns per acre of the soft fruits and their value in the diet make their cultivation an important item in the horticultural production policy of Great Britain. In spite of their relatively short season, strawberries remain the most popular of the small fruits and account for nearly half of the total acreage. Dietetic research during the last ten years has shown that the blackcurrant is by far the richest source of vitamin C of all cultivated crops, and it is probable that we may look to a considerable increase in its production in the future.
The Cultivation of Berried Fruits in Great Britain
History, Varieties, Culture and Diseases. By Chas. H. Oldham. (Agricultural and Horticultural Handbooks.) Pp. 374 + 8 plates. (London: Crosby Lockwood and Son, Ltd., 1946.) 21s. net.
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STOUGHTON, R. The Cultivation of Berried Fruits in Great Britain. Nature 158, 569 (1946). https://doi.org/10.1038/158569a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/158569a0