The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-02-15
Fruit For New Settlers.

Fruit For New settlers.
Being deprived of fruit is one of the
worst hardships of those who settle on
the frontier. A want of fresh fruit leads
to much discomfort, and often res ats in
injury to the health. AS a rule, settlers
in a new region improve their land and
erect fences and buildings before they
take the proper steps to insure a supply
OF lruit for their families. When they
finally reach the point OF considering the
propriety of preparing to raise fruit they
con Jude to set out apple and pear
trees They for some reason think the
small fruits are especially adapted to
persons who have many com, OrtS ana
are in a way to enjoy life. They do not
take into consideration the important
fact that vines and bushes come into
bearing much quicker than trees, and
that a supply of small fruits can be OBJ
tanned in a y cry shor time. Ne Their
do they take into cOnsideTat on the fact
that it costs mach less to purchase and
transport vines and bushes than trees.
As a consequence new sctt ement is
often supplied with apples and pears
grown on the soil sooner than with
grape, currants, and the var GUS berries.
Now, while it is true that apple and
pear trees should be planted as soon as
She ground is ready to receive them and
the Settler can obtain the money to pur-
chase them from the nursery, 1t is also
true that the small traits should first
claim attention because they produce
crops in so short a time a ter they are
set ont BY iudicious management a
sett er can have a good suppl of some
of the small fr its the year ter he has
taken up a place. In three or four
yetrs he can have an abundant supply
! of three or more varieties. BY drying
and canning a portion he can get along
very comfortably till fruit trees can
! be ra sed Of sufficient size to produce
/ fruit.
Attention should first be paid to the
! strawberry The settler should take a
! box of plants along with him when he
goes to improve his claim. A rod OF
| ground can be prepared and the plants
set out in a day. If the season is favor
able they will grow with very little cul-
tivatiOn and throw out numerous 7. n
ners that VII furnish plants Tor future
beds. The original plan will produce
their best crop the following year, and
will continue to bear fair crops for sew
era seasons. The plantation can be
extended without the expenditure OF
any money, and many plants can be
disposed of to neighbOring settlers.
Cuttings of grapes, currants, goose
berries, raspbeUries, blackberries, and
black currants n also be taken along
or procured from the old home without
much expense. Grape-vinCs viii com
mence to bear the second year after
they a,e planted, and the cuttings will
enable one to increase the number OF
vines without expense other than labor.
The like is true in relation to currants
and all the berries. They can be eaten
| anH lalCrC
Quantities can be made into Jams and
ieIlies or canned and drie I. They viii
make good living possible, even on the
frontier of civilization. In sections
where the early Richmond cherry
thrives it win be found an excellent
tree to set out as soon as one com
mences to improve place. The tree
grow very rapidly and soon come into
bearing. Persons who understand
Grating can often do much TOWARD
getting a supply of fruit in a shor
time by grating wild grape-vines an(
crab-app1e and wild-plum trees. IL
this vicin ty the Beth eamite appI
grows finely on the stock OF the wilt
crab. which is found in most arts o
the West. In the neighbOrhoOd Of TIL
CITY there are several fine orchards tina
have been obtained by gra ting tn
wild crab with the variety mentioned
TIE trees produce very fine crops, ant
are hardy as well Us productive.
An excellent substitute for fruit cal
be found in pie-pant or rhubarb.
roots can not be readily obtained plant
can be raise from seed with very hit!
trouble An ounce of seed will Produc
several hundred plants. A paper c
seed costing hut five cents will raise
suffi cent number of plants to supply
large family. Ten plants raised froT
{ seed will be small the first year, bu
they win produce a very fair lot c
leaves the second sea,On. Some Of tn
t Seeding plants will be inferior an
should be thrown away. but many c
: them will be of choice varieties tbs
l should be prOpagated. BY manurin
/ them heavily they may be made to pro
: duce very large crops. The leaves {
pie-plant are large enough to eat befor
any kind ripens in this climate. Rhu
, barb makes excellent pie, tart, an
: sauce, and can be used in the gree
5 state from early May till the frost XII
} the leaves The leaves can be cut
: short pieces and canned to as good az
, vantage as any kind of fruit. They en-
e also be pealed, cut in piec 5 about tW
. inches long and dried l. Ike apples. The
) NAV be strung on threads and dried
the sun or spread on plates or pieces
, boards and dried in a stove-oven, or
{ the sun. Insects are lie likely to tro1
+ BILE them than they are apples, as the
;, are quite sour In cooking they a.
L used the same as dried apples. - Chtc'
40 Times.