The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-04-25
SMALL FRUITS FOR COUNTRY
EHOMES.

b M {HOMES.
An essay WAS read before the last
meeting Of the Western New York
horticultural Society, by Chas.l A..
Green, upon the subject Of small fruits.
We give the following extract from it:
Complaints. are made that our farm
ers isolate their families from many
enjoyments ofselty, or village life, and
neglect to provide those. luxuFies of
the garden that tighten the heart, and
inVigorate the. stomach; choice col
lection Of which delicacies one might
well travel soEae distance to partake,
at the home Of q friend, as some writ
er has intinated. Such complaints
are well founded, and farmers are to be
censured, if, as some imagine, our far
merS are independents, and burdened
with leisure hours. But this happy
condition being simply q dream Of the
poet, OF ,buE2esque Oh struggles for
existence, let us not berate the patient
husbandman:; for no class is SO badger
eel, .harassed and driven, nor SO poorly
paid for their toll. The care of farm
fences, buildings and live stock, long
journeys to market over horriblero roads,
relentless stormsythe tickle seasons, and
countless never. ending drudgeries, as
sail the farmer.at every turn; and 10
and behold it sis discovered that his
fruit garden, his 4lowsrs, his lawns do
not compare fayorably with those Of
his city brothers. The homes Of many
OF our farmers are indeed barren Of
the choice varieties and species of
small fruits; but the farmers heart
beats kindly towards those dependent
| on his efforts, ands.aS he becomes more
familiar with thesbetter varieties, and
| appreciates theirWalue for home use.
and learns how .easily they may be
grown, he will produce them. In fact
our well to-do farmers are, of late, in
PRODUCING these comforts quite liberal
| ly.
Small fruits are;asgreat attraction to
any place, but no country home is COM
piete without them,in abundance, from
June to January. They are not only
toothsome, and healthful, but are pos
sessed Of great beauty. Downing says
! @that fine fruit is thelmost perfect I'M
lon OF the useful and beautiful that
the earth KNOWS" Asmuch pleasure
| May be obtained by wandering through
garden of Strawberries, raspberries,
currants, gooseberries, and grapes, I'M
der good culture, and treatment when
| IN bloom or fruit, as from many flower
gardens. We are apt to overlook the
beauty of these useful plants, and be-
stow 0ur admiration indiscriminately
on those that have their being for
| beauty alone. II we desire we may
train most of the small fruits in forms
OF beauty. greatly enhanced when bear
ing their lnsciens burdene. For in
stance, the Blaek-Cap raspberry may
be made to cover q trellis, or may be
trained low, and as round-headed as a
hay-cock, or transformed into an uni
form and trusty hedge-row Should
we 11rst see the cllrrant in fruit, when
strolling for wild flowers, we should
feel that we had discovered berries of
great beauty. Like BLADES of grass, ap-
pie blossoms and sunsets, curra1fts are
too familiar to receive general admir-
alton.
Few vines are more ornamental for
home grounds than the grape; and
when the "bloom. busted" clusters
swell and rlpen, in the Autumn sun.
we may rest with content beneath
their shadows. Hundreds of dollars.
expended in architectural display, may
not add SO much attraction to a coun-
Try home as Will the old grapevine,
trailing from rustic arbor about the
gables. How well we remember the
y4les that twined their tendrels about
the homes of our childhood; familiar
scenes and former acquaintance may
have been forgotten; but the old vines
cling to our memory in all their beauty
and fruitfulness. Let us plant the
small fruits about our homes. They
will promote health and contentment,
and do much to brighten life's toilsome
journey.
Ia 81