The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-02
FARM, FIELD, GARDEN
Hints on Strawberry, Currant
and Raspberry Culture.
FOREST LEAVES FOR SOIL.
FRONT In Capons-The Disappearance of
hog Cholera - Miilet Grass .
Good Cleansing Crop.


with great claims to superiority. The
plants are generally sold at the rate of 50
dozen, while the old and tried varieties
can be obtainnd for so or 20 cents dozen.
IL is pretty safe to say that not one-half
the new varieties are worth growing. and
furthermore there are not many strawber-
ries that have been introduced within the
last I'VE years that are any better, If as
good, as the old Wilson, Crescent, Wind
sor Chief, Manchester and Sharpless. Yet
there are many who have implicit trust in
the new varieties that are coming out every
year, and on the strength of the testimoni-
ais accompanying the new plants they
plant out large quantities at first. Near to
me is neighbor who tries the latest now
elites In strawberries nearly every year,
and he is constantly tearing up the old
plants to make room for the new varieties,
which he plants in quantities. Something,
however, Is always happening, and he
never makes much money out of his work.
The black currants are cultivated the
least of almost any good fruit in this coun-
try, and 1t seems strange that such fruit
is so generally neglected. The black cur
rants were at one time very popular in
England, and troches made from them
speakers. There is no fruit grown that
will make richer jelly and prove OF more
medicinal value in cases of colds and sore
Threats. The black currants sell for about
half as much per pound as the red, but
then the bushes yield much greater
weight. If their culture was more ex-
tended the demand for them would be-
come more universal, and the time will
come when they will be more appreciated
| by the public. There is certainly profit
in currants, even though little attention
| Is given to their cultivation. They will
| pay their way when they are planted on
| poor soil and not cultivated, but under
intelligent culture they bring in hand
| some return for all labor bestowed upon
| them. In respect to the currants, many
| of the new varieties introduced
| great improvements upon the old
| sorts, which were rather small in size
| and less agreeably favored. Fancy cur
rants put up in tiny packages always COM
mand good prices, and the first pickings
| of either the white or red varieties cannot
| fail to bring in returns almost double
those which can be secured later. The
| old-fashioned red Dutch currant is a fine
! fruit for jelly, and they can generally be
| sold for cents pound. The most prof
liable way to grow these old-fashioned
kinds, which are not to be sold as fancy
fruits. is to plant them in rows of apple or
| pear trees In the orchard or field. Seven
bushes can be planted between two trees,
| allowing the apple trees to be about
| thirty-three feet apart. The bushes next
| to the trees should be planted about six
| feet away, and then the other bushes can
| be placed three and half feet apart.
| The ground then should be forked over
| every spring where the cultivator cannot
| reach, and no other treatment need be
| given to them besides that given the
cropped land. The fancy varieties need
more cultivation and attention.
I have some raspberries growing under
apple trees where there is great deal of
shade, and from their growth they seem to
contradict the common belief that shade is
injurious to these berries. They are Cuth-
berts, and they have yielded me good
| profit every year. Shade prolongs the
ripening period OF the berries, but it also
improves the size and quality. of the ber-
| ries. Now, this is great advantage, for
long after the crop planted in the sun has
/ canes under shade. In this way better
| prices are obtained for those grown under
| shade. The Cuthbert and Gregg raspber-
ries are splendid fruit, and they will hold
their own against any other variety in the
market There is more trouble in getting
/ the Gregg raspberries to start, many dying
unless carefully planted, and the safest
| plan is to use two plants instead of one.
After four years steady bearing, no matter
| how liberal the treatment may be, the red
| raspberry plantations do better to be
| plowed up. The black ones bear profit
| ably longer than the red ones. and the
Greggs will thus outlive the Cuthbert.
S. w. CHAMBERS.
FOREST LEAVES FOR THE SOIL.
The advantage of using forest leaves for
| improving the soil is twofold. First free
| mixture of the leaves on the soil divides
the sand and clay so as to afford a free cir
culation of air and water, along with other
ammonia washed from above by the rain,
and second, the slow combustion of the
| carbonaceous matter generates carbonic
| acid. which presents a solvent for miner
! ais that water alone will not dissolve. In
| districts where the soil is composed large
| lv of limestone and mari crushed fine, the
| leaves form an important function in
making the soil ready for growing plants.
The same is true in all soils that have a
| free composition OF other mineral sub
| stances and large percentage OF our land
is composed in greater or less degree of
| such mineral constituents. Even sand is
| acted upon by carbonic acid. and the
leaves perform a good work in making
| them available for the plants, for plants
| must have sand as well as other forms of
soil.
But leaves perform another function
| coTnmonIy overlooked. When they rot
| thew denosit carbon, which darkens the
sand and clay so that the power of abb
sorhing heat and keeping the soil warm is
| greatly increased. Such condition of the
soil is verv essential to the growth of the
cereals. cabbage, potatoes. beets and SINH
! larlv highly organized plants. These same
| nlar1ts will not thrive in cold bed of clay
| or a mixture of clay and sand, but where
the soil has been warmed by the free ap-
| nIication of forest leaves they will often
BROW In xuriantly. Every year adds to and
Confirms the belief of the essential value of
forest leaves in transforming uncongenial
| soil into warm, rich land. Leaves are of
great value on land where commercial
Fertilizers are largely used, for these sup
NV mineral matter in large quantities; but
mineral matter is not sufficient
A. B. BARRETT.
PROFIT IN eAPoNs.
| Tn every branch of farming there is
some method of improving the products,
and in making a specially Of some partic-
Mar thing which will bring fancy prices
in the markets. Fancy fruit, thorough
bred animals and improved varieties of
vegetables. are all the results of study, ex-
neTiment and improvement. The capons
hold the same position in the poultry bust
ness. and the result is no less profitable
and satisfactory.
Raising capons is prohtaoie business
and they are now raised quite universally
throuohout the country, although for a
long time "Philadelphia capons' were
| 49, pIv ones that were supposed TO