Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1861-03-29
SMALL FRUITS.

/ I'VE clip from the Piitsburg Cfronic!e o.
August 4. 1860, the following account of "A
visit to KnoX's Small Fruit Farm-One
Hundred Acres in Fruii-FIly Acres III
Strawberries.
! Having long heard of and desired to see the
/ 'small irul' iaTm of Rev. J. Knox, We TOOK
/ advantage the other day OF leisure afternoon
! TO pay a VISIT We were so much pira.ed
/ and asIOnlshed al what We saw, that We feel
prompted 10 give our readers some v ha. ex-
tended description OF It. This extensive and
highly cultivated farm Is credltIO Pitts burg,
and Mr.. Knox deserves most honorable men
uon for the enterprise aud perseverance which
/ has induced hiin TO increase year by year his
: plantations of small iruIIs," until now lhey
are. beyond any peradventure, not only tn.
largest and most complete OF any III the West,
. but Of any III the UnIIed States.
GENERAL Description OF the rARm.
( The farm OF Rev. J. Knox is situated on the
Coal Hill, nearly above Birmingham, and
about a mile and I half distant from the CITY.
The farm comprises one hundred and twenty
five acres, fu Iy one hundred Of which IS IN
close and unIntermIlienI cultivation; the rest
Is occupied by vegetable gardens, dwellings,
ouI-houses, woods, &c, &c. The mans slon,
which is posed nearly IN the centre of the
ground Is d pain, uIroUmy and comfortable
structure, OF Two stories. and surrounded By I
broad porch. IL Looks very much like one OF
th1se commOdIuus Planters houses, which are
SO often met with Ia the Gotten States. This
farm of one hundred acres Is quite equivalent
so careful Is the mode OF culture and such
the economy OF space and growths-tos farm
double the size. As an instance OF how econ
omy Of space and time IS regarded, We saw IN
one division thrifty young peach orchard,
of some ten acres extent, the trees of which
were not expected 10 produce for four years.
To turn this sou and time to profit until the
trees commenced to yield their golden trui.sge,
Mr.. Knox hai planted out between each row
of trees, a line Of Black Cap raspherres.
which would be profitable for trult aud plants
Tor four years. and between each rUw OF trees
al right angles 10 the other rows, line OF
strawberries. from which he expected three
crops of fruits and plants SO that. while The
trees were unproductive, the other crops
would be highly remuneraIIve, and when The
trees commenced bearing, and needed all the
sUii's nuurIsnment, rne "smalI Irut pIania-
hons would have served their ends, and would
be ready for roofing up
The enure farm is divided about ihus-ffty
acres IN Strawberries, ten IN raspberrIes, ten
IN biackberrles, seventeen IN peaches. ten IN
apples, and three IN very select varieties of
the grape, chiefly the Concord. Delaware and
Diana. raised principally for fruit and prop
agaiion. We need not dwell ON the apple or
peach orchards-alIhnugh Mr. Knox IS one
Of the best and most successful pomolOeists,
and has as choice a selection as any in the
couniry-nor on the graperIes, or therr pecu-
liar mode of culture; nor on the large and
highly profitable patches Of choice currani,
gooseberry, and giant rhubarb, cultivated for
the market These, while they engage close
attention and most approved culture, are not
Mr. Knux's spsciaii.S but le, US rather re-
gard and describe The Strawberry, Raspberry
and Blackberry divisions of The grounds. We
should first premise. however, rhatMr Knox'S
business Is twO-tOd-to cultivate these berries
for market. and 10 propagate plants for SAFE.
In botn of these branches, he has been alrea-
dy highly successful. His plants Of every va
rieiy OF these three berries have been trans
mitted, carefully packed, TO every State south
and west of us, while his berries have found
a ready market, and at the highest prices. not
only al home but abroad.
HIS srR.wnERnr PLANTATIONS
Comprise fully hiIy acres, forty of which
were planted out this spring. They are divI-
dei into specimen, t'uiGng and propGgafing
beds. In the specimen bed. there Is grown a
single TOW of the different varieties cultivated
and each kept perfectly distinct by the con-
S ant removal OF runners Such bed is of
manItes, advantage IN aifordIng visitors or
portunIiy 10 examine and compare in close
proximity the plants and fruIt of large coll
lection. The propagation beds are for the
production OF new plants by their parent
plants being allowed 10 make runners and
strike out roots. The different varieties are
grown so remote from each other, and are
numbered and registered with such care. as TO
preclude all possibility OF any admIxiure Oi
Sorts. The iruit beds are, as mentioned
above, planted and cultivated in rows, no
runners being allowed 10 extend or root itself.
This Is garden culture introduced into the
field. So far as we know, Mr.. knox is the
only person IN the country VINO has adopted
this expensive and elaborate mode Of culture
on a large scale. and his conclusion is that it
will pay better Than any other treatment; that
one acre thus cultivated will produce more
tian fire treated 10 the ordinary way, and that
oil judicious labor spent on the strawberry
will pay al least one hundred per cent. Mr.. [.
Knox has IN cultivation over one hundred va
rIeties, some of which are but of Lille COM I
parailve value for their fFuir, but which, IN a !
general collection, are very important, as al I
lowing persons interested 10 form a correct
Judgment with reference TO Them, as well as
TO compare them with others Of better repuie. /
Hence. Old and new, native and foreign, re-
jecied and accepted varieties have been pro.
cured, but many Of them are only kept In the
specimen bed.
THE VARIOUS KINDS OF sTRAwBEEnIKs.
The fruit plantations are composed chiefly.
Al present, of the following popular varietics-
Brush Queen. Buisi's Prize, Boston Pine,
Brighton Pine Batmore Scarlet, Burrs Ne"
Pine. Compte de Flanders. Hovey's Seeding
Hooker, Honneur de Beque. Jenny Lind
kitiy's Goliath, Large Early Scarlet Long
worlh's Prolific, McAvoy's Superior. Nova
msnsng, Nimrud. Peat ody's Seeding. RIM
cess Royal. Scarlet Maenare. Scotts Seeding
rriomphe de Grand Trollope'> 'ilcra, VI
Herrlcart de Theury and wilson's
Albany. There are about twenty-five varie-
hes, which, for fruit. Mr. Knox says he could
10, est along wiihou,. although from three to