Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-05-21
THE FARM.

WE commend the following "
the careful consideration Of our
farmers. We have a great mass
Of lands suitable for grape and
small fruit culture, and used for
nothing else. These lands, now
worse than worthless, can be made
vastly profitable by using them
for the production Of the grape
and small fruit. The immense
profit to be made as shown by
this report, should be a strong in.
ducement for our planters and
land owners to make the expert
ment.
PRoPIrs OF SMALL FRulTs.-A
correspondent Of the Rural Amer
lean says: Each year sees a great
increase in the number of acres Of
small fruits under cultivation, and
the fact that Notwithstanding this,
the price Of almost all kinds is in.
creasing instead Of diminishing
a fact well attested-shows that
the demand is increasing faster
than the supply, and that there is
opportunity for profitable invest,
ment in the pleasant business Of
small fruit culture. The princi-
pal small fruits are strawberries,
c~urrants, gooscberries, raspber-
ries, blackberries, and grapes;
and though there is occasionally a
disappointed cultivator, who
comes out in a complaining article
to prove that some or all do not
pay, the hundreds Of prosperous
men engaged in the business, and
the figures they can and do give,
show the falsity of these sore.
heads complaints. Without men-
tioning the extraordinary crops
sometimes obtained, such as max
ing q clear profit of $500 from an
acre Of strawberries, or 5000 from
one.fourth of all acre of grapes,
the average yield under proper
cultivation is more remunerative
than that of any field crop. II is
true the expense at the start is
greater, and the cost Of cultivation
much more, but after all this is
paid the cultivator of small fruits
will be rewarded by a clear profit
several times as great. A crop Of
oats is much more easily raised
than q crop Of strawberries, but a
clear profit Of twenty dollars per
acre on oats, after paying all the
expenses of cultivation, is not re.
allied in one case out Of q hun.
dred, while it is nothing uncom.
mon to clear 500 per acre on
strawberries Indeed this would
be a small profit to realize per
acre on Strawberries properly cul.
tivated, for i! grown in hills eigh.
teen inches apart each way, there
will be 1880 plants on an acre,
which, when they arrive at a good
bearing state, should produce at
least n third Of 4 quart a piece,
or 6,423 quarts per acre
At 10 cents per quartz
low price-the receipts would be
S645, and a very handsome profit
would remain after paying all ex.
penses. 1t will not certainly do to
calculate upon a yearly receipt Of
that amount from every acre of
strawberries set out, but some.
near it, may be insured BY
proper culture. Other small fruits
may not bring quite as large re.
but are more easily cultiva.
ted, so hat the expense is less.
Raspberries set out four feet each !
way, two canes per hill, making ]
o,4OO canes per acre, will yield as !
much as $500 quarts the first sea. ;
son, and SO on increasing. These, !
L the variety is good, will not .
less than ten cents per quart, >
md more, probably fifteen some. n
thirty and forty cents is oh. :
for them. At the lowest !
igure the receipts would be $3.50 y
Der acre. Currants set four feet 4
part each way, or 1922 bushes ii
'er acre, should yield, when in full I
bearing, more than a pound per ),
Dush, worth at least ten cents y y
Der pound, or s272 per acre. +
jooseberries sell from five dolla:s 4
o eight dollars per bushel, and 2,
'ill yield 100 bushels per acre un. ],
.er favorable circumstances-a = y
eturn of at least $500 per acre. q
t is not to be denied that in or. q
or to start a plantation of small
ruit of any kind, a considerable !
expenditure Of capital will he re.
both for the purchase of
ines and for properly mauuring, N
nd tending them before they be,
in to bear, and that for the first
NO or thee years no returns will n
received for all this outlay but g
lose having the capital to start d
it'll, and faith enough in the bust, 40 ~
ess to stick to it, will not fail to ~
cure a large interest on their in. ~