The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-07-25
SMALL FRUITS.
why Farmers Should Make Speciality OF
Their Cultivation.


Their Cultivation.
MANY farmers spend their lives with
out the comfort that is derived from
fruit, because their homes are situated
where the climate does not admit OF
the production of apples, pears,
peaches and the best varieties OF grapes
at least without considerable protec-
ton. They do not make the best OF
their situation. They do not exercise
the same Judgment in relation to fruits
that they do in regard to ordinary field
crops, and plant what will grow and
what is adapted to the. climate and soil
where they are situated. They COM
plain that they are not in land Of
cider and apples. They long for the
pear orchards of Central New York, for
| the great peach trees of Maryland, and
the vineyards of Ohio. They dislike to
live where fruit can not be produced In
abundance. They talk of the apple
bees they attended in boyhood. They
sing of the old cider mill. They praise
the apple butter made by their good
grandmothers. They wish that they
were back on the old worn-out farm
among the hills in the East or South,
/ where fruit can be raised on trees and
where grape-vines grow year after year
without protection. They are weary
of living without fruit.
It does not seem to occur to many OF
these persons that they can produce
excellent fruit where they are, and that
they can have their tables abundantly
supplied with it during the year. Such,
however, is the case. Many OF the
small fruits do best in places where APP
pies, pears, and peaches can not be
raised. The finest of all fruits pro-
duced in any climate is the strawberry.
It will grow anywhere within the boun.
diaries of the country, but is produced
| with the least trouble and expense IL
regions where snow affords protection
l to The vines during the winter. TIL,
l strawberry will flourish anywhere tina
: grass does, and a soil and climate tina
are suited to grass are also adapted t
the strawberry. This most desirable
0 of all the fruits can be raised as easil,
!, as any of the common field crops
II With very few exceptions, every yea
a is clearing year" for the strawberr
l. plant. 1t lie necessary to wait but
l. single season to obtain full crop froI
o plants. Vines set out this spring wi
D. be in their prime next summer, an
y they will produce in addition to GRO
Ie of fine fruit o sufficient number {
II young plants to occupy the area
10 land originally set out. The cost {
m obtaining plants for the first start
y very small.
n Raspberries and blackberries al
"a raised almost as easily as strawberrie
~ and new plants are propogated yeT
oi readily. They will afford fresh fru
~ from the time Strawberries commend
~ to fail till September. 1t is very eas
p to secure and keep in proper conditio
IS q plantation of gooseberries and of re-
70 white and black currants. All the
III bushes will live as long as peach tire
d. do, even in favored localities, and w
+ produce good crops every year. A
eh varieties of currants and gooseberri
er do best in regions where the climate
OF quite cool and the atmosphere tolerab
oy moist. They are admirably adapted
en- places where the apple, pear, pea
'ss and the best varieties of grapes can n
IN be produced. A half acre of land a
~ propriated to these bushes will produ
ne not only sufficient fruit to supply t
IL wants of a large family during t
period they can be used in their ire
nd state, but enough for use during t
ep entire winter and spring. They Ct
70. be converted into preserves, jam a.
zee jelly, or preserved in cans or glass ia
est so that they will retain almost all t
in excellent qualities Of ripe fruit recent
ed picked from the stem. The small fru
'at are by nature very perishable, b
ne science and art have contrived ways
I'd. preserve them in excellent conditi
re for years.
he The production of small fruits b
lc- one great advantage over the prodr
nd ton of large fruit. 1t requires but
to very short time to bring the vines a
m bushes into condition for beariu
IN Many years are required to raise
ng orchard of pear, apple and peach tre'
,st Several seasons will pass before
he first blossom makes its appearance.
on the case of vines and bushes product
rs berries, we have to wait but sht
it time for blossoms and fruit. Some
cir them will produce full crop the "
A after they are set out.-ChlcdgO TIM