The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-11-19

| Waste lanu-grovn over with persmmon
trees and, blackberry bricrs-too poor 10
produce five bushels of corn TO the ncre!
those trees--commonly girdled or cut down
-he not only left standing, but trimmed
and trained them into wide spreading tops.
The brers be left growing in clusters, here
and there, in large quantity. In the re-
naming open spaces be planted apple trees
peach trees, plum trees and mulberry trees
thus filling up the whole field! Those
fruits also were OF different varieties-.from
The earliest to the latest Of each. Thus
from the ripening of the May plum, to the
falling OF the last persimmon, he had an
abundant supply of fruit for the support
and rapid growth of as fine crop of hogs
as any planter need desire. Nearer his
house, in different lot, there are similar
trees TO which the fig and the grape are
added; under which there luxuriated flocks
OF geese, ducks, turkeys, common and "un,
common" poultry-as sight and possession
for which we may well suppose Appicius
would have given kingdom! All this at
hitle or no cost beside planting the trees
and Keeping up tho enclosures! This ex.
ample Is strongly commended 10 all our
farmers. To some extent any of them might
adopt the same plan OF rearing their meats.
and at the same time improving their lands.
Orchards benefit lands instead of in,poper-
'$hing them. Nor can it be told how preat
Improvement might in this way be procured
to those "witd fruits"-the plum, the per-
simmon and the blackberry. Culture and
domestica,ion often produce wonderful re.
suits. A distinguished chemist and bota.
INST IN an adjacent State has given it as his
opinion that under proper culture the per-
simmon would become one Of the most pleas
ant and valuable of all our fruits! Ii has
this recommendation also, that it comes in
alter most other fruits are gone. Not only.
then, should the voice Of our whole popu,a-
ton be; "Woodman, spare that tree, but the
culture OF that species Of tree, from the seeds
or gratis of those of superior qualities.
| should attract the attention of our rutnl
population.
The impression also has become stronr
through large portions of our country, tha.
Tie blackberry surpasses, not only as a luxu-
ry, but in point Of real utility, both as to its
nutritive and medicinal qualities, any other
fruit known upon the American continent!
What is most remarkable also about it is,
that 1t is not oaly an abundant bearer, bu,
neither tradition nor history can inform us
oil ne failure Of an annual crop, no matter
'chdt tie seasons may be! 1t is said tha, a
variety OF this berry has lately been discov-
ed IN IicSens and Gfeenville Districts, of
this State, double the size of the common
berry, and far surprising it in ssccharine
qualities. We copy also from northern
paper the following statements respecting
another variety of this fruit:
"We have received from Drew & French.
50 barclay street, a very fine lot of Law ton
OF New Rochelle bIackberries, of which
plants are being cultivated very extensively
IN Connecticut, New Jersey. on Long Island,
ssc, with view TO provide "a future supply
Tor tins market. AS yet the quantity OF
fruit sent forward, Of this variety, is com.
parai'vely small, and commonly sells for
twenty-five or thirty cents a quart. Messrs.
Geo. Seymour d Co., at South Norwalk.
", have SIX acres exclusively devoted to
this plant; part 10 fruting, and part TO
the propagation of new roots. Tie berries
grow to a very large size-six,y or eighty
beng sufficient TO ill a quar-, measure
Long Island is the great source OF sup
ply for the common blackberry. During
the thirty days ending August 2Ist, Drew
q French received over the Long Island
Raliroad 7l,663 quarts, or 2,230 bushels.
for which about $1,000 was paid; the ave.
age cost being ten cents quart Ii is cal.
cuiaied That this embraces two.ihirds of the
Whole crop growing in the otherwise unpro-
ductive sand barrens Of the Island"
Your committee would direct public at
tention TO these facts. Even the common
brier of our waste lands, if planted in rows
six or eight feet apart-kept thinned ou,
and iopt OF its Struggling shoots exposed
10 me iu'i action of the sun, and supplied
with Its appropriate manures-would pro.
duce several hundred bushels Of choice ber-
r'es TO the acre; which either TO man or
beast would be of great value. There is no
irnit brought into the Charleston market
that Is more sought for, or more hirhiy
valued by a.arge class of citizons, than this
eoon coiored fruit. Hitherto il has been
regarded as the result Of the original
curse" and not only has it been wholly
neglected, but held "nigh unto cursing!"
Now 1t is manifest that, under proper cu-
ture, 1t may be turned into one of our chief
blessings.
Groves also Of fruit bearing trees, such
as the English walnut, the French chest.
nut-a valuable food for man or beast-,he
pecan nut and the date bearing palm,
ei'her on our hills, or along the rugged
slopes OF our streams, where the grounds
are too poor or too much broken Tor the
culture OF grain-such groves would be
highly ornamental as well as useful.
returning to orchards: II is not the in
tehtion OF your committee 10 Indicate by
name the particular varieties of the differ.
ent Kinds OF fruit which should be culliya.
ted by our citizens; for different names are
oilen applied to the same variety in differ.
eht paris OF our country. Besides. our OBJ
Ject is 10 lay down general pyiaciples, and
induce TO general culture. Climates local..
ties, soils and circumstances must indicate