Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-04-27
AGRICUITlIsAI..
small Fruits ana "Tixinp Up.o

small FRUITS ana "Ftxing Up"
Northwestern Farmcr.l
The culture of small fruits is n subject
that ought to interest any one who owns
foot of land. 1t has been truthfully
said that ''if the whole world was city
there would be sufficient room tu grow
apples enough for the population. How
often we hear people say, among them
farmers, il L was only fixed" | would
plant fruit. At first thought it would op-
pear us if fixing up" was terrible
thing, but l must confess for one that in
reality this matter of getting fixed is
very small job, especially for small fruit
or nice door-yard. Now, readers, let us
look this matter square in the face, and
see what there is in it.
Wo Will suppose yol, only have n small
lot of land, 50Il5O feet. This is small
town lot, and IA farmer would think this
no land at all for fruit, so small that it
would not. be worth botheriug with at
the same time this is sufficient land to
grow enough small fruits for one family,
yet they will say they cannot get fixed. "
The trouble is, they don't try to get
fixed.
y lot 5OxlJ0 feet contains :, 1,jJj sqlrre
feet, and if the plants can be set on an
average of five square feet lTAiir straw
berries can be much closer il will take
300 to occupy the ground. aud ought to
be planted somewhere near the following
proportions 2f currant bushes, II goose
berry bushes, ID grape vines, 100 rasp-
berry bushes, and this will leave sufficient
room for 200 strawberry bushes, while on
the north or west side there cll he fuur
cherry or plum trees, which III reality
Will be an advantage to the lot, and if 1t
is wished to make the lot attractive plant
an evergreen or Russian mulberry hedge
in front and keep it trimmed in any de-
sirable shape.
| y lot planted as described will afford
sufficient fruit i'll their season for any
family, besides increasing the value OF
the land, and be credit to the owner.
Any land owner can have lot like this
If he wants it, and another advantage to
be Coined is the growing OF small fruits
while the bushes are small | have vet
to find any one who has commenced the
growing Of fruit, but will become SO iu-
tcrested that he will be constantly i'll
creasing his stock. 1t is duty we owe
to ourselves and our children to make
home pleasant, aud tell you, reader, we
cannot afford not to fix up our homes, and
If you have not thought of the matter, it
is time you had, and so this very spring
commence, and if You have children get
some small fruits of some kind and give
them to them. Show them how to plant
and care for them tell them how in
course of time, with proper care, they
will bring forth fruit and it will do YOU
good to notice the interest it will awaken
in them, and they will soon try and have
the incest door-yard and garden in the
neighborhood. Come, let us wake up
and try and make home pleasant, and the
children will not want to leave home.
Potato-Rai>ing.
At the late meeting of the Farmers In
stitute of Ionia county, Michigan, pa
per was read by Mr. c. T. Rust, OF Ionia,
on "The Culture and Best Varieties of
Potatoes" Mr.. r. has made the raising
OF this vegetable speciality fqA fifteen
years, and, though not an extensive raiser,
he has the reputation in this vicinity OF
always bringing superior quality Of po-
tatoes to market, and of obtaining the
best prices. He generally tests the va
rious new kinds which are advertised, but
discards nineteen out of twenty after one
years trial. This spring as the result of
his previous tests, he intends to plant
only five varieties, viz: Early Vermont,
early Ohio, Burbank $ seeding mammoth
pearl and white peachblow. Mr.. r., i'll
the paper referred to, speaks as follows
To grow potatoes successfully must
have suitable soil to commence with !;
then it must be put in proper condition.
| prefer an old clover sod, if quality rs
well as quantity is n consideration. A
sandy loan soil, with clay subsoil, |
think, is.thc best, although good crops
can be produced from clay soil ii proper
ly managed. Light sandy soil will pro-
duce potatoes of excellent quality, but a
light yield of small tIhera. unless the
season is very wet. Whatever your soil
may be (unless it is black muck, with WA
ter near the top of the groundJ Your land
should be deeply plOwed early III the
spring, and well pulyerized On the top
just before planting. Mark your ground
with marker that will place the seed one
inch below the surface when dropped.
Mark the rows four feet apart, aud plant
from one to two feet apart ia the rows.
Cpt your seed in pieces with unceye only,
and put one piece in place. The drill
system / consider preferable. Plant ear
ly and cover about four inches deep, and
make broad flat hill. believe i'll rails
ing the soil around the plants, not very
high or conical, to secure IL healthy growth
of vine, and n good crop. Select good,
sound seed. Never plant diseased tubcrs
y As soon aB the top is ont of the
ground, So that You can follow the rows,
commence cultivhting close to the plant.
Do not let the weeds got The start OF you.
Make all the hill around the plant that
you intend to make before the tubers set,
and in no case hill up your potatoes after
they are set, unless the hills get washed
down by heavy rains, as they did last
season. Keep the ground rs level MS pos.
sible between the hills in the row. BE
very careful and not get your hills too
conical.
The lightest yield per acre during the
last fifteen years is eighty bushels OF good
sized tubers, and 325 bushels per acre is
the largest yield have had during the
time. l have realized large profit above
expenses, from the lightest yield, or, as it
is often termed, the OH year, with the ex-
ception of one year For instance, dur
ing the spring OF 1881, planted eight
acres and raised 900 bushels, for which
l received 81, 200. Last spring | planted
about the same number of acres, and
raised between 1900 and | 400 bushels.
have already sold 500 bushels, which
hdve averaged about so cents per bushel,
Farm Notes.
The granary should be entirely clesnsed