The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-08-08

brought from distance. Especially is
this true regarding small fruits. The
grower naturally reasons that his home
grown fruit will so into the market 10
so much better condition than that
which is shipped from distance that
it will bring quite as good a price,
even if somewhat later in season. But
by the time his plants are grown and
the fruit is ready for market the con-
ditions may have changed. Some
other grower, not so very far away.
may have found the excellent opening
offered by the same market, and is
there as competitor. His neighbors
have been inspired by the same idea at
about the same time, and are hardly a
season behind him with their products.
Or his first crops, owing to imperfect
methods of cultivation and handling,
knowledge of which can only be
obtained by experience, have failed to
come up to the high standard of his
hopes. These drawbacks may lead him
to the conclusion, if he is a man easily
discouraged, that fruit growing is not
profitable. Yet, with all these dlscour-
agements, it is strongly probable that
his trial acre of strawberries, or cur
rants, or blackberries has paid better
net profit than any possible acre of
wheat. or corn, or meadow. If the
acre of fruit has not made fortune, it
has at least indicated the road to bet
Ter income. If the crop was straw
berries, the experience gained will en-
able one to duplicate it to better
advantage, with better knowledge Of
the most desirable varieties for his
locality. Then another acre may be
put in raspberries and blackberries,
which will follow the strawberries in
the season of harvesting and market
ing. One each may be put in currants
gooseberries, which among small fruits
best bear shipping, and will enable the
cultivator to test the value of other
markets after the home trade has been
supplied. Plums, cherries, peaches,
ETC., will follow in their natural order,
until the fruit farm. large or small
becomes an accomplished fact, aud
then, if it is managed as a,systematic
business, it will be strange indeed if it
does not yield handsome return for
the capital and labor invested.
Fruit is every year becoming more
plentiful in our markets, and the in
creased consumption keeps pace with
the supply. If this condition iorbids
great profits to the individual specialist
in fruit culture, itimproves the chances
for the many, and is for the best in
terest of agriculture at large, 1t is
better that many should be able to
acquire competence than that one
should make fortune, and it is one
of the benign influences of our pro-
gressive agriculture that we can put
within the reach of all classes the
most wholesome of foods Fruits
which were once known only as
delicacies by the masses are now upon
their tables daily in their respective
seasons.
AS our population increases, farmers
all through the great eastern aud mid.
die sections of the country cultivate
mainly the smaller and more delicate
products of the soil. The orchard, the
garden, and the dairy will take the
place Of grain field; and the farmer
who plans to follow this line, content
with moderate returns, will not be the
one to exclaim that fruit growing is
improbable. -Amer. Agrtculturist.