The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-03-26

At time when thousands are wish
ing for some work that will make them
independent of the chances attending
employment in the shops or mills, the
experience of a gentleman who was
very poor, as reported by the AmerS-
can Grange Bulletin, may offer o sug-
gestion full of comfort. 1t presents
plan by which thousands may help
, themselves materially without at once
abandoning their present occupations,
/. if they have them, before they put
themselves into position to throw aside
all other work for fruit growing.
There need be no fear that the market
will be overstocked with fruit. for the
world has never seen the time when
good, fresh fruits were not salable at
fair prices for any length of time. The
experience related was that of one who
lived near town of about 1900 peo-
pie. adjoining which were many rich
farms, and land was plenty, the rent
being about $5 per acre. His first
move was to look up reliable nursery
from which to purchase the necessary
plants. This done, and all arrange
ments made for a supply on the best
varieties of Strawberries, raspberries,
blackberries, and grapes, the next step
was toward securing the land. Being
short of funds the rule was to start at
first on a small scale, so three acres of
good land was leased for term of six
years and the rent for the first year
S15-paid in advance.
Then he portioned off the following
number of plants to set out the three
acres: One acre was to go in straw
| berries, one in blackberries, one-half
acre in black raspberries, one-fourth in
red raspberries, and the rest, one-fOurth
of an acre, to grapevines. Our friend
had no horses, so he hired the ground
/ broken in the fall. When spring ar
rived the land was plowed again, well
narrowed, and marked out for the
! plants These were very carefully
| planted at the proper distances, and
| then came the work of tillage.
| An occasional days hire for a man
| and horse did the heaviest of the work,
while his own arms and a good, bright
| hoe tended the remainder. Between
| the rows of all the plants, excepting
| the trawberries, garden truck was put
| in and tended along with the small
| fruits. When fall came the plants
| were found to have made a very fine
and healthy growth, and there was a
| splendid crop of vegetables also. Part
had been already harvested and dis
| posed of at a good advantage, while
| the remainder was ready for a like dis
posal. Enough had been realized in
this way to pay another years rent in
advance, buy few berry-boxes, and
have little left.
In the village there was an enter
prising grocer who had been a keen
observer of our friends fruit-garden,
and he made advances toward securing
the crop for sale. He would sell the
fruit at a commission of Is per cent on
each dollars worth if the grower
wanted cash, or would pay full value
dollar for dollar-if goods were taken
in payment for berries. There would
be only the strawberries to put in mar
ket the second season, but our friend
had planned so we'll as tovarieties, and
given them such attention, that the
acre patch would yield a handsome
crop.
| A horse and light spring wagon were
| purchased on time, and then the Sec
ond years tillage was easily done; be-
sides, conveyance was prepared fol
the transportation of the berries.
Three young girls were engaged to dc
the berry picking, which with his own
help was sufficient. Before the time
came for harvesting the crop there
| were llduN NtchS 1IlOHCu CuAl1N
ton, which was done mostly by horse.
No culture being needed for the straw
berries, the two remaining acres Of
other fruits could be easily handled
and kept in good shape. To be sure
there were many other matters to at
tend to, such as cutting back the rasp'
berry canes, making berry boxes, cul
ture being the greatest essential.
/, In the latter part of May the berrie:
began to rpm, and soon the berry
picking came on in earnest. All thi:
time the other plants were making {
fine growth and were not neglected
The acre of strawberries turned ou
, splendidly, the total number of quarts
being 1880 and over. The first brough
20 cents quart, then fell to 10, thel
to 124, and finally to 10 cents a box
All this was very satisfactory, and mex
year another strawberry crop and aful
crop from the other plants. This i
the way one man started, and he grad
> ually increased his fields until now h
has twenty acres in small fruits alone
Any other man can do just as well AM
| perhaps better.