ieties
which are natives of colder countries.

[Illustration: Marguerite Strawberry.]

[Illustration: Marguerite Strawberry packed for market.]

The case berries, which are used for fresh consumption, fetch a fair
price, especially early in the season, but jam fruit sells at an average
of 2-1/2d. per lb., at which price it pays fair wages, but is not a
bonanza. As a rule the plants are very healthy, and any fungus pests to
which they are subject, such as leaf blight, are easily kept in check by
spraying, a knapsack pump being used for this purpose. The ground is
kept well worked and free from weeds, whilst the plants are fruiting,
and occasionally the ground is mulched, as is the case in the plot shown
in the illustration. No special knowledge is necessary for their
culture, but, at the same time, thorough cultivation and careful
attention to details in the growing of the plants make a considerable
difference in the total returns.

[Illustration: Forman's Strawberry, Brisbane District.]

CAPE GOOSEBERRY.

This Peruvian fruit, introduced into this State _via_ the Cape of Good
Hope, hence its name, has now spread throughout the greater part of the
tropical and semi-tropical portions of Queensland. Its spread has
largely been brought about by the agency of fruit-eating birds, that
have distributed the seeds widely by means of their castings. It is one
of the first plants to make its appearance in newly burnt-off scrub
land, and often comes up in such numbers as to give a full crop of
fruit. In other cases it is usual to scatter a quantity of seed on such
land, so as to be sure of securing a plant. No cultivation is given; the
plant grows into a straggling bush bearing a quantity of fruit which is
enclosed in a parchment-like husk. The fruit is gathered, husked, and is
then ready for market. The bulk of the fruit is grown in this manner,
and as it can be grown on land that is not yet ready for any other crop
(grass or maize excepted) it is a great help to the beginner, as a good
crop and fair prices can usually be obtained. The name "gooseberry" is
somewhat misleading, as it is not a gooseberry at all, is not like it,
nor does it belong to the same natural order. It is a plant belonging to
the order Solanaceae, which includes such well-known plants as the
potato, tomato, tobacco, &c., and altogether unlike the common
gooseberry, which, by the way, is one of the fruits that we cannot do
much with. In addition