The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-05-20
Richmond horticultural Society.

The Society met last Saturday
afternoon at the residence Of JOHN
A. Menden' all. After partaking
OF a boun.iful repast prepared by
the ladies present, the mcnl ers
spent half an hour in walking over
the we'll cultivated grounds Of Mr..
Mendenhall. The effects Of the
late severe frost were visible on
his premises, nearly all of his fruit
and his early Strawberries having
been killed.
At two o'clock the society was
called TO order, Thomas McCamp-
bell, Lizzie Lupton and Robert
Commons were elected members.
w. L. Taylor, from the commit
tee on vegetables, reported that in
consequence of the backward sea !
son the gardens in this vicinity dill
rot look as thrifty as usual at this
time of the year.
j. c. Ratliff announced that the
State Horticultural Fair will be
held at Indianapolis on the 9th and
7th of June, and that very liberal
premium list was offered, open to
the world. George Lewis read an
essay on the cultivation of small
fruits, which We publish entire.
The cultivation of small fruits does not
seem to have attracted the attention in
this vicinity heretofore that we would
justly suppose it to be entitled to, iudg.
ing from the large quantities that ourl
dealers are compelled to ship from other
points to supply the demand. Now this
should not be the case, for surely we are
capable of supplying all the small fruits
that our city could use, with the excep>
sson perhaps, of small quantity of the
earliest, if we would turn our attention q,
little more in that direction. If the
growers can make it profitable to raise
them and ship here after paying express IS :
charges, commission and wastaee. thew
Certainly could be raised here 70 adj
vantage, at reasonable profit, as the
most ofthose expenses would be avoid.
ed, and it is we'll known that fruit taken
fresh into market, will bring better
price than that which has been Shipped
| from distance. ~
There has been so much written on
the cultivation Of small fruits by differ
erent authors that it does not seem pos>
sible to add anything new on the subject.
Most Of the small fruits require dry
soil sandy or clay loan is preferable,
although they will thrive in. almost any
soil that will produce good corn. The
ground should be prepared BY deep plow-
ing and narrowing until it is thoroughly
pulverized. For spring planting the
ground should he plowed in the fall and
cross plowed in the spring. which leaves
the ground in a much bette. condition
than one blowing.
Manure should b. used literally un-
less, if the ground is rot already rich,
Barnyard or stable manure is to be pre-
ierred where it can be obtained, it should
be well rotted before using, and thor
oughly mixed with the soil, if it was
spread on after the ground was plowed
and narrowed in, it would be of more
immediate benefit. 7lsH' , % a5.l8 es1@'
In planting always use line, as
straight rows are much easier tended
than crooked ones, not to say anything
! about the difference Of the two.
Strawberries plant the rows 80
iacaes apart, and from Is to Is inches
apart ia the rows when they are to be
kept in hills, if for matted rows they
| should bs planted wider between the
| row.
| None but good healthy plants should
b, used, not necessarily large. for think
that at the end OF the first season, the
difference could not be told between
large and small plants, provided they are
good thrifty plants when SO. out. The
roots should be Strengthened out, ard il
long, shortened some, and sll the dead
leaves and runners should be rernove Cd
before planting; after planting they
should receive thorough cultivation, az
it is equal TO a coat of manure and batter
than mulch in dry season. II they
are to be kept in hills. the runners will
have to be cut off frequently when they
are from eight to ten inches long, or be,
fore they take root: late in the fall when
the ground begins to freeze thew should
receive light coat OF some kind Of litter
anything to protect the plants through
the winter and keep the berries clean.
after the berries are all picked they
should be cultivated the same as the pre-.
cedics season.
sRaspberries come next in ri>
pen'ns. commencing to ripen before
Strawberries are entirely gone, they
should be planted three and a half feet
apart in the row, and six or seven fe.t
between the rows; the young shoots
should be nipped off when at ut lh,e.
feet high. which causes them TO throw
out side shoots. which should a'so b,
nipped off when twelve to fif,eea inches
long. By cutting lack pretty close.