Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-19

Here it may be said, that this pruning ha:
changed the habit of this plant entirely
and it affords lesson for the fruit-growel
worthy of being remembered. The iso.
lated plant above referred 10, being in an
open space, exposed to the warm sunshine
when ripening was made to produce, after
many wears of radical change in habit, a
type of fruit that seems entirely new.
When the Lawton berry was first placed
upon the market it surprised our Oldest and
best pomologists by its superior qualities,
and it taught lesson which has gone into
fruit literature, showing how superiority
has been produced in the blackberry by
pruning alone. But another lesson has
been learned since by experience, namely,
that this berry would not do for universal
propagation. In central New York, where
the climatic conditions are unfavorable,
Though wild blackberries are common in
that section of the country.
A few years after the Lawton had been
another new kind was
brought out, this time from the Kittetinny
of Pennsylvania, and called the
Kittetinny. This berry has entirely diff
ferent characteristics from the Lawton or
Boston High Bush. 1t is the largest de-
ciiedly sweet berry we have, and is pre-
ferred for canning and other general use to
either of the other kinds.
The Lawton is a great favorite when
grown to perfection and ripened in the
noon-day sun. 1t will make a palatable
wine. fit for medicinal purposes.
Among the new cultivated kinds is the
Crapdall, or Texas Extra Early, as it is
sometimes called. This variety is among
the largest, is very fine favored, comes on
two VIC eks earlier than the Lawton or Kit
tetinny, and lasts, so it would seem, dur
ing the entire summer; at least these re-
qualities are attributed to it by
those who know it best. 1t should be
planted wide apart-say ten or twelve feet
apart in the hills-and be allowed high
growth. 1t is said to ripen up well, and to
be less seedy than the Lawton, while con-
tanning all the good qualities of this we'll
known variety. The Dewberry, like most
wild blackberries, runs too much to be cul
tivated for market. The blackberry re-
quires moist or irrigated land. If irri
gated, it needs good drainage. 1t will not
do where there is stagnant water in the
ground, although it will bear large guam
tity of water by irrigating in teaching land.
The old canes should be cut out at the
end of the year, and three or four new
canes left in punches, say three by eight
feet apart, as general rule, for the coming
year, and these should be headed down to
four or five feet in length, as may prove best.
are easily propagated from the
new canes coming up from the root. But
the plants may be grown from fragments OF
roots planted in beds, to be reset, or put in
where they are to grow. 1t is desirable to
choice kinds from the roots
81 n Of ha
sooner obtained this way. 1t is also better
for the bearing plants not to dig around
them, as by cutting the roots the plant be-
comes weakened and less productive. The
better way is to leave all new shoots needed
for the following year, and carefully cut
off at the the surface of the ground all
supsrfious shoots, leaving only three or
four, or whatever may be needed, of the
strongest canes, for the coming years crop.
GoosEBERRIEs.
Gooseberries are the first pie fruit of the
season we have in California. They come On
in the season when they are especially de-
sirable. When full grown, before they be-
come ripe, the fruit is shipped in bags or
boxes to the mines or elsewhere needed in
very large quantities. Much of it is also
sold to the canneries, where it is put up
chiefly for distant market.
The gooseberry is propagated from cut
tings eight to twelve inches in length. If
the soil is compact and heavy, five inches
in the ground is quite deep enough. As
every bud on the cuttings is likely to put
out a top growth, it is well to cut out the
buds of the part of the cutting that is to go
in the ground, if the plant is to have
body-like shape. The suckering plants are
not desirable, as the fruit will be smaller
and must be picked with greater difficulty.
Those who raise this fruit in large guam
tity will find it advisable to gather the fruit
with buck mittens, by rubbing it off into a
pan, and afterwards cleaning up in fan
ming mill to take out the leaves.
The chief kind of gooseberry cultivated
here is the Houghton's Seeding. Though
medium in size, il comes early in the sea-
son, is good in quality and very prolific.
The English eooseberries, though much
larger than our seedlings, do not find a
natural home on this continent. Though
coming from the north slopes of land, in
the region of dampness and fogs, these va
rieties generally mildew in California. But
there are exceptions to this rule. There are
regions, generally inland or away from the
ocean, where some of these foreign kinds
are grown successfully There is variety
sometimes called the Kilsey gooseberry,
from the old Kilsey nursery, of Oakland,
that is being disseminated and is meeting
with much favor, on account of its large
size and comparative freedom from blight
They may be planted three by six feet
apart in favorable soils.
AN IMPORTANT INVENTION.
Allegretti has invented process for pre-
serving matured fruits, which, If il works
as he says it will, solves all the difficulties
attending Eastern shipments. He was yes
terday asked to address the Convention,
and in the course of his remarks said:
Since the year 1865 have given much
attention to the preservation OF green fruit
and other perishable articles, for transport
however, by the refri-
gerating process-but it is only within the
past year that have perfected a process by
which matured fruit can be preserved in
all its natural flavor and perfect condition
long enough to reach the Eastern markets,
say eight to ten days, without any other
preparation whatever. My process is of a
nature that does not require the handling
of the fruit in any manner, consequently
all the natural
COLOR AND FLAVOR ARE PRESERVED INTACT,
Just as taken from the trees. This fact,
however, requires that all fruit should
come to me in a sound and matured con-
dition, but not too ripe. The time required
for treatment is from two 10 six days, ac-
cording to the quantity. With this process
any large or small quantity of matured
fruit, vegetable or other perishable pro-
duce, NAV be accumulated at any one or
more shipping points, and be kept in pres
eryation till there is enough to load car,
or train, as the case may be, thus giving
the small fruit-grower THE bone and sinew
of the State) advantages equal with the
large producer. The cost of so treating the
fruit is but small compared with the ad-
vantages to be gained by being able to
COMPETE WITH THE EASTERN MARKETS,
By laying down California fruits at five
cents per pound, which | am fully con-
WINGED can be done, if necessary, and still
pay well the grower, and railroad company
and the cost for treatment, as the
Hon. Leland Stanford said in letter ac-
knowledging the receipt of basket of fruit
treated by my process in December last
f" IF this can be done, the difficulties of the
California fruit problem are solved"
There are many large cities in the East
ern States that are reached by railroads and
instead of selling one carload per week at
fancy prices, five carloads per day could be
disposed of at popular prices.
I have resided and done business in
many of the large Eastern cities. and know
of what l speak.
The fruit cars of the Central Pacific Rail-
road Company are well adapted, just as
they are, for the carrying of fruit treated by
my process-in good condition for a transit