+
Green Peas—Between 43,000 and 44,000 acres of peas were
picked green in 1925. Essex, with over 11,000 acres, had a much
larger area than any other county. Yorkshire (West Riding)
came next with 5,500 acres, Worcester, Lincoln and Kent being
next in order. The total production was estimated at about
73,000 tons, or an average of nearly 33} cwt. per acre.
Green Beans.—The area of beans picked green in 1925 was
reported as including about 5,500 acres of kidney beans and
almost exactly the same acreage of scarlet runners, together with
3,000 acres of broad beans. Essex and Worcester seem to be the
most important districts, together with Kent and Bedford. The
total production of beans picked green was estimated at 34,000
tons.
Minor Vegetable Crops.—About 21,200 acres were reported as
devoted to these miscellaneous crops (parsnips, beetroot, lettuce.
ete.), the value of the produce being estimated at £830,000.
al?
(g) Fruit Crops.
Small Fruit.—The area under small fruit—viz., strawberries,
raspberries, currants and gooseberries—is ascertained annually in
the Agricultural Schedule. The bulk of the small fruit grown
in England and Wales may be grouped in three areas, although
the dispersion is fairly general in the counties lying between these
groups. The most important group consists of Kent, which had
17,386 acres, or over 25 per cent. of the whole acreage of small fruit
in 1925, and the neighbouring counties of Sussex, Essex, Middlesex
and Surrey which had some 6,050 acres. The second group consists
of Norfolk, Cambridge, Isle of Ely and Lincoln (Holland), which
together had 22,211 acres, or 32 per cent. of the total area.
Thirdly, the county of Worcester, with Gloucester and Hereford,
had 6,578 acres. Hampshire had 3,858 acres mostly devoted to
strawberries, and Cornwall and Devon together had about
2,100 acres. Figures of the acreage in each county are given in
Part I of the Agricultural Statistics for 1925 and are not repro-
duced here.
Of the total area of 68,352 acres of small fruit, 40 per cent.
was under strawberries, 44 per cent. under currants and goose-
berries, and 10 per cent. under raspberries, the remainder being
mostly mixed fruit. The proportions do not vary very greatly
in the different counties, except in Hampshire and Denbigh.
where over 80 per cent. of the small fruit consisted of strawberries.
The yield of small fruit varies locally according to varieties
and other factors, and the task of ascertaining production is
one of considerable difficulty. During the past three years
estimates have been made by persons with local experience in
the important fruit-growing areas and the results are given in
the following table together with the estimates made in 1908
and 1913.