The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-05-24
The Small Fruit Garden.

A garden, planted to small fruits,
SUI Ii as srawbeyr es, raspberries, cur
ants, grapes, ETC., of the new, pro-
ductive and delicious varieties, wi
ED to the planter an abundance
of esh, clean, well-ripened fruit for
the table, and an ample supply for can
ming. Besides, he may treat his friends
and i'll have surplus Tor the mark ct
suffic ent to give twice the net profit
per acre of his best wheat crop BY a
iudicious 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
va iety of soil. The grape has done
we in Michigan in places where the
land seemed to be almost afoat on a
subterranean lake, and it grows equally
well on the Highlands along the Hud-
son, where the thin layer of soil has
been hauled en- 10 cover the barren
rock. However, deep, dark, loamv
soil must be considered the best, and an
incline to the southeast or east is pre-
ferable one.
To cultivate advantageouslv, the
longer the rows the better. Thus a
garden 2C0 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 fist row be COM
posed of tu ants and gooseherries. At
the distance OF six .cet plant ow TO
g. apes. This low, trained nicely to a
wi trellis, will in measure shade the
gooscber.ies. and thus keep them cool
and somewhat damp, some varieties be-
ing alta sked by d y-weather mildew.
Folr feet south OF the grapes plant u
row of st awbe ries, The plants may
re kept in hills during the fl st and
second yea $, but to, wa dis allowed
to occupy narrow telt three feet
wide. Let the next row be given to
iaspterries, six feet from the 81 aw-
be 'ries Six feet from the raspherrles
give another row to st awter les This
Tan be managed with the other strip IN
bringing to perfect productiveness and
ploughing up in alternate periods, Civ
ing tn ee yea to each row the paving
age of 10th st awberries and lasp-
berries. The last row, six feet distant,
should be given to blackberries.
Plant the rasple ries, currants and
blackbe1ies close, making hedge rows
of them. Three feet apart in the row
VIII accomplish this. The roots of
the can be bought for IS, ii one does
not invest in the newer high priced
ones. The twenty grapevines can also
be bought for S3, and 500 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 re- nj. ed. 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 bountiful household supply Of
all these varieties, including 15J quarts
strawberries and i've bushels of grapes,
there will remain fifty quarts OF straw
berries, which if sold early will certainly
bring S., and 100 pounds of grapes,
which will increase the returns to $40,
OF $50 ner acre. This, after-deducting
expense of cultiyating. pruning and
mulching, would still show better re-
turns per acre than wheat. But these
figures are gathered fir, m garden of
very moderate pretensions, 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 yie.ds
are reduced forty percent from tho cob
tanned by tho writer. But after all, the
greatest profit dcrivable from this gar.
den Is ono a. owe estimation ip dollars
Ne J, Examiner