The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-02-16
rruit 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 results in
injury to the health. As rule. settlers
in a new region improve their land and
erect fences and buildings before they
take the proper steps to insure q supply
of fruit for their families. When they
finally reach the point of considering the
propriety of preparingt to raise fruit they
conclude to set out apple and pear
trees. They for some reason think the
small fruits are especially adapted to
persons who have many comforts and
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 supply of small fruits can be OBJ
tained in very short time. Neither
do they take into consideration the fact
that it costs much less to Purchase and
transport vines and bushes than trees.
As consequence new settlement is
often supplied with apples aud pears
grape, currants, and the var GUS berries.
Now, while it is true that apple and
pear trees should be planted as soon as
the ground is ready to receive them and
the settler can obtain the money to pur
chase them from the nursery. it is also
true that the small fruits should first
claim attention because they produce
crops in so short time after they are
set out BY judicious management a
sett er can have good supply of some
of the small fruits the year after he has
taken up place. In three or four
years he can have an abundant supply
of three or more varieties. By drying
and canning portion he can get along
very comfortably till fruit trees can
be raised of sufficient size to produce
fruit.
Attention should first be paid to the
strawberry. The settler should take
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 Gull
tivation and throw out numerous IN
ners that will furnish plants for future
beds. The original plants will produce
their best crop the following year. and
will continue to bear fair crops for sew
eral 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, raspberries. blackberries, and
black currants can also be taken along
or procured from the old home without
much expense. Grape-vines will CON-
mence to bear the second year after
they are 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
fresh during their season, and large
iellies or canned and dried. They will
make good living possible. even on the
frontier of civilization. In sections
where the early Richmond cherry
thrives it will be found an excellent
tree to set out as soon as one COM
mences to improve place. The trees
grow very rapidly and soon come into
bearing. Persons who understand
grating can often do much toward
getting supply of fruit in short
time by grating wild grape-vines and
crab apple and wild-plum trees. In
this vicinity the Bethieamite apple
grows finely on the stock OF the wild
crab. which is found in most arts of
the West. In the neighborhood of this
CITY there are several fine orchards that
have been obtained by grating the
wild crab with the variety mentioned.
TIE trees produce very fine crops, and
are hardy as well as productive.
An excellent substitute for fruit can
be found in pie-plant or rhubarb. If
roots can not be readily obtained plants
can be raise from seed with very little
trouble An ounce of seed will produce
several hundred plants. A paper of
seed costing but five cents will raise
sufficient number of plants to supply
large family. Ten plants raised from
seed will be small the first year. but
they will produce a very fair lot of
leaves the second sea on. Some of the
Seeding plants will be inferior and
should be thrown away. but many of
them will be of choice varieties that
should be propagated. BY manuring
them heavily they may be made to pro-
duce very large crops. The leaves of
pie-plant are large enough 10 eat before
any kind ripens in this climate. Rhu-
barb makes excellent pie, tart, and
sauce. and can be used in the green
state from early May till the frost kills
the leaves. The leaves can be cut in
short pieces and canned to as good adj
vantage as anv kind of fruit. They can
also be pealed, cat in piec about two
inches long and dried like apples. They
may be strung on threads and dried in
the sun or spread on Plates or pieces of
boards and dried in stove-oven, or in
the sun. Insects are lei likely to trou-
BILE them than they are apples, as thev
are quite sour. In cooking they are
used the same as dried apples. Chica-
go Times.