Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-08-31
Small Fruits.

81 SusOAl EfustuS.
We find . lengthy description Of
Rev. J. Knox's "Small Fruit Farm"
in the Pittsburgh Even;ng Chronicle
Of August LIST. It is situated one and
half miles from the city, on the high
land back Of Birmingham. The farm
has about 100 acres, entirely occupied
with fruits.
The entire farm is divided about
thus-ffty acres in strawberries, ten in
raspberries, ten in blackberries, seven
teen in peaches, ten in apples, and three
in very select varieties Of the grape,
chiefly the Concord, Delaware and Dr.
ana, raised for fruit, for wine making,
and for sale Of cuttings. We need not
dwell on the apple or peach orchards
although Mr.. Knox is one Of the best
and most successful pomologists, and
has as choice selection as any in the
country-nor on the graperies, or their
particular mode of culture nor on the
large and highly profitable patches of
choice current, gooseberry, and giant
rhubarb, cultivated for the market and
for wine making. These, while they
engage close attention AMI most ap-
proved culture, are not Mr.. Knox's
specialsties /; but let US rather regard
and describe the Strawberry, Raspberry
and Blackberry divisions of the grounds.
The strawberry plantations comprise
fully fifty acres, forty of which were
planted out this Spring. They are
divided into specimen fruiting and
propogating beds. In the specimen
bed there is grown single row of all
the best reputed stock varieties ofstraw-
berries known-over a hundred and
each kept perfectly distinct by the con.
slant removal Of runners. Such bed
is of manifest advantage in afording
visitors opportunity to examine and
compare in close proximity the plants
and fruit of large collection The
propagation beds are for the production
of new plants by their parent plants
being allowed to make runners and
strike out roots. The different varie-
ties are grown SO remote from each
other, and are numbered and registered
with such care, as to preclude all pos
sibllity of any admixture of sorts. The
fruit beds are, as mentioned above,
planted and cultivated in rows, no run
ner being allowed to extend or root
itself. This is garden culture intro
duced into tn, field. So far as we
know, Mr.. Knox is the only person in
the country who has adopted this expen-
slve and elaborate mode Of culture on
large scale, and his conclusion is that
it will pay better than any other treat
ment that one acre thus cultivated will
produce more than .fve treated in the
ordinary way, and that all judicious
labor spent on the strawberry will pay
at least one hundred per cent. Mr..
Knox has in cultivation over one hun
bred varieties, some Of which are but
of little comparative value for their
fruit, but which, in general collection,
arc very important, as allowing persons
interested to form a correct Judgment
with reference to them, as we'll as to
compare them with Others of better
repute. Hence, old and new, native
and foreign, rejected and accepted va
rieties have been procured, but many
of them are only kept in the specimen
bed. a
THE VARIOUS KINDS OF STRAWBERRIES.
The fluit plantations are composed
chiefly, at present, of the following
popular varieties British Queen,
Brist's prize, Boston Pine, Brighton
Pine, Baltimore Scarlet, Burr's New
Pine, Compile de Flanders, Hovey's
Seeding, Hooker, Honneur de Belique,
Jennie Lind, Kitly's Goliath, Large
Early Scarlet, ongworth's Prolific,
McAvoy's Superior, Moyamensing,
Nimrod, Peabody's Seeding, Princess
Royal, Scarlet Magnate, SCOTS Seed
ing. Triomphs de Grand, Trollope's
Victoria, Vicomptcssee Herricart de
Theury, and Wilson's Albany. There
are about twenty five varieties, which,
for fruit, Mr.. Knox says he could not
get alcng without, although from three
to six kinds will furnish sufficient va
riety for such as cultivate for family
use. He regards tie Wilson's Albany
as a very valuable and profitable varie-
ty, and has shown his faith in it by
planting full fifteen acres of it this
spring. In addition to its many ether
excell 'ncies, it has proved superior
berry for canning, or preserving, and
was this season in great demand for
these purposes. Its weight, size, sol
idity, favor and color render it popular
for this use. It ia, moreover, eminent
ly productive, and highly profitable as
a market fruit. MIR. Knox is also very
partial to Trollopc's Victoria, an ex-
cellent variety OF very large SIZE, and
delicious flavor, and which continues in
bearing long time. He has raised
specim Ems of fruit this season, without
any extra attention, measuring from Ii
to 2k Inches in diameter.
PRESENT APPEARANCE OF TIE RocHELLEs.
Mr.. Knocks new Rochelle plantations
are now in high seas IN. The berries
are either fully ripe or rapidly rlpen-
in, and present sight worth going
great way to behold. We stood in the
midst Of a patch, and on all sides of US
stood thrifty and vigorous bushes la.
dened d,lUn to the gerry earth, and
lying spon the ground with large
clusters Of most beautiful and most APP
rot;,;,o er,,;t Soma of tho huohao rro