The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-11-30 00:00:00

Itartirulture.

HARDY FRUIT GARDEN.

The lies weather which ushered in the month has un-
happily been succeeded by violent at ,rms of sleet and
rain, which have so saturated the earth that all planting
operatMne have been brought to a standstill for the
present. We are now visited with 'revere frost, which
could her fly have made its sop. mance at a more un-
favourable seam°, or under circumetances which are more
likely to upset the meet carefully devised Programroe for
carrying out improvements. The auddeoness of the chants
should be • lemon to planters that every precaution should
be taken to protect the roots of trees that have recently
Leen removed by covering the surface of the ground with
dry litter to • depth of from two to three inches thick.
This protection, if applied in time, will have a very bene-
ficial effect upon the trees by excluding frosts asid march-
in g thereby insuring a greater uniformity cl earth
tempersture, and healthier conditions for the roota t, lay
hold of the mil afresh.
I have previously adverted to the most important season-
able operations In the way of forming fieah plantations
of the different kinds of hardy fruits, and to the renova-
tion of old ones, with a view to the improvement of the
quantity and quality of the crops. I have, however, ma le
one exception in the ems of the raspberry, than which
there is no email fruit more ~npreciated for cooking pur-
poses or In gnaw request during the summer and autumn
months. The raspberry, although it will succeed in a way
onywhere requires high cultiv ition to brims it to perfec-
tion. The positions for raspberry plantations are not
always happily chosen. It luxuriate. in a cool, rather
damp eituation, where there is not actual stagnant mois-
ture. It also likes a deep rich soil and partial aisle.
Having selected • suitable aituation for making • new
plautation, the ground should he trenched two asides in
depth, and a llyer of welkot.ted immure put between
each layer of soil. Good strong canes, with abundance of
fibrous roots only, should be chosen, and It is the safest
way to make anew plantation—or at lest a part of one—
• year previous to destroyouttlie old one, in order to make
sure of • supply of fruit Thi latter suggestion applies
with equal force, whether lance or 'on ill quantities are
grown. The plants should be planted at six feet between
the rows, and five to six feet from plant to plant, and
they may be tied upright t stakes or trained t i wires,
or they may form arches in !a.. it la so desired. I prefer
the system of trainieg to wires, beceuei of the facilities
it offers for ripening as well as gathering the fruit*. Tee
trellis for tying the canes to is twined by driving strong,
square, upright poets into the ground at equal distances
avert, and fastening the wires to these pose by means of
eyes or loops.
Many people consider the arched system of training
pretty, as no doubt It is, especially in • small garden; the
arches are of course formed by %ending the plants towards
esc'i other until they meet and a connectiosi is effected,
which produces the desired shape.
Ttiv best varieties for summer fruiting are Fastrlf end
Red Antwerp, and the best autiimo-bewing kind is Belle
lii F..ntenay. The latter variety should be grown exten-
sively for autumn fruiting; it bears upon the wood of the
current year, and deserves to he more widely known than
it is, not only because of its ex !al.:ince, hut also because it
proton's the mason of so udful • truit.—W.
Neat