Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-02
The Small Fruit Garden.

A garden, planted to small fruits,
UGH as Strawberries, raspberries, cur
rants, grapes, etc, of the new, pro-
ductive and delicious varieties, viii
Yield to the planter an abundance
of fresh, clean, well-ripened fruit for
the table, and an ample supply for can
ming. Besides, he may treat his friends
and still have o surplus tor the market
sufficient to give twice the net profit
per acre of his best wheat crop. BY a
judicious selection of varieties, one
may be sure of a continuous supply of
these fruits from the first day Of sum-
mer until midwinter.
Most kinds of small fruits have been
grown satisfactorily on nearly every
variety of soil. The grape has done
well in Michigan in places where the
land seemed to be. almost afioat on a
subterranean lake, and it grows equally
we'll on the Highlands along the Hud-
son, where the thin layer of soil has
been hauled On to cover the barren
rock. However, a deep, dark, loamy
soil must be considered the best, and an
incline to the southeast or east is a pre-
ferable one.
To cultivate advantageously, the
tOuSCl UAo 1OWS UuC OCUCtI. Illus d
garden 200 feet long by a little over
thirty-six feet wide will occupy one
sixth of an acre, and will contain six
rows 200 feet long.
Beginning to plant on the north side
at the fence, let the first row be COM
posed of currants and gooseberries. At
the distance of six feet, plant a low to
grapes. This row, trained nicely to a
wire t%rellis, will in a measure shade the
g%ooseberries, and thus keep them cool
and somewhat damp, some varieties be-
ing attacked by o d ~Ty-weather mildew.
Four feet south of the grapes plant q
row of st: awberries. The plants may
be kept in hills during the fist and
second years, but afterwa DIS allowed
to occupy q narrow lelt three feet
wide. Let the next row be given to
raspberries. six feet from the st! aw-
berries. Six feet from the raspberrles
give another row to st.awber les. This
can be managed with the other strip IN
bringing to perfect productiveness and
ploughing up in alternate periods, Civ
ing three yeas to each row-the paying
age of 10th strawberries and lasp-
berries. The last row., six feet distant,
should be given to blackberries.
Plant the raspbeyries, currants and
b~lackberries close, making hedge rows
ofIthem. Three feet apart in the row
will accomplish this. The roots of
these can be bought for $3, if one does
not invest in the newer high priced
ones. The twenty %grapevines a also
be bought for So, and 300 strawberry
plants Tor $3.50, making in all $3.50
for the roots for the sixth of an acre.
Making allowance for the planting of
! some OF the new kinds, not over $40
will be required. A larger quantity of
fruit will be obtained each year until
the third or fourth, when all the kinds
will give average yields at full ca
pacity.
After a bountiful household supply of
all these varieties, including $50 quarts
Strawberries and five bushels of grapes,
there will remain fifty quarts OF straw
berries, which if sold early will certainly
bring So, and 100 pounds of grapes,
which will increase the returns to $40,
| or $50 per acre. This, after deducting
expense of c~ultivating, pruning and
mulching, would still show better re-
turns per acre than wheat. But these
figures are gathered fir; m a garden of
very moderate p%retensions, in some-
what unfavorable weather, which had
slack culture, with the accompanying
weeds nearly always found in the farm
er's garden, and subject to insect and
fungus parasites. Indeed, the yields
are reduced forty percent. from tho.eob-
tanned by the writer. But after all, the
greatest profit derivable from this gar
den is one above estimation in dollars.
IN. Y. Eaaniner-