The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-07-01

We expect 10 bear good report IRON
Nancy Allen before the season is over.
Currants--Other Fruits for Haitian Acre
EDS. COUNTRY GENTLEMAN Since
find that my letter on Downing's Seed
ling gooscberry was given place in your
valuable paper, l am tempted to write
again, this time particularly of currants,
| have given ten years careful atten-
ton to the cultivation Of small fruits, on
just half an acre of ground, which is the
size of garden for which you gave list
of small fruits to a subscriber, in your is.
sue of the 18th. like the list, with a
few exceptions, but think that in regard
to those exceptions, possibly, my expert.
euce may benefit beginners.
am surprised to sec the Cherry cur
rant recommended in preference to the
Versailles. / have tested the Cherry
currant carefully. | have had them
growing side by side with the Versailles
for years, and finding them so unproduc-
tive that they don't pay for the room they
occupy, shall discard them entirely. and
replace them with the Versailles, which,
in my garden, through all these years OF
destruction BY currant worms, | have
kept vigorous by good cultivation, and
the prompt application of white hellebore
10 keep off The worms, and have been re-.
warded with such wonderfully prolific
crops of large, fne fruit. as to surprise
every enc who saw them. | think there
is no favorable comparison between them
and the Cherry curiant, except in size
of berry The Versailles is richer in
favor OF feshy coDsistenee, like fine
cherry, and the fruit hangs much longer
on the bushes.
Instead Of being unproductive, they
are remarkably prolific, and for three
years past, mine have sold readily at
eighteen cents pound. Two years ago
last summer, | sent them to Newly ork,
when Cherry currants were quoted from
eight to twelve cents in market, and they
returned me eighteen cents pound.
When perfectly ripe, picked fresh, and
served with nice sugar, | think there is
scarcely any fruit more lucious for the
table, besides being excellent canned
either alone, or to mix with raspberries
AT first, among others, set out White
Dutch currants, but found them worth
less compared with White grape, and
have discarded them also.
| fud the Red Dutch better for jelly
than the Versailles, aud cultivate them
for that purpose only; for which they
bring me ten cents quart.
Four years ago l bought of Andrew
S. Fuller, young bushes of kind he call
ed Yellow Imperial, and recommended
as stronger growers than the White grape,
but they seem to me identical.
For u garden Of half an acre, you rec.
ommend thirty gooseberries, l have six
Downings and six Houghtons. The frui,
is used freely by a family Of eight per.
sons, and those twelve bushes give an am.
pie supply, beside some to give away and
some to sell. On our half acre We have
seventy.6ve graz vines growing, set on,
as DR.. Grant and Mr.. Fuller recommend
ed, which experience has taught me il
quite too near together. I'll was begin
ming again, | should set grape vines six
teen feet apart. and gradually lepgther
the arms three or four feet (no more
each year, as the strength of the arm,
would allow, until the trelises were GOV
cred.
With me, Kittatinny black berries hav'
proved failure having been killed bacl
every winter, though sheltered on tire,
sides by high close fence.
Ulster Co., N. Y, Lucy Q. WooD.
Country Gentleman