Los Angeles herald., 1891-09-13
THE RANCHES.
Small Fruits Should Not be
Planted in Orchards.
The Sale Of Our Wines and
Brandies Abroad.
A Good Market Being Opened in Eng
land and Germany.
Banning's Fruit Crop and the Cotton
Cannery-Fumigation May be Ac-
cOmphshed in Daytime-Ag-
ricu1turaI and HortI-
cultural Notes.

1t is not unusual to hear complaints of
small fruits not doing we'll when planted
in orchards of fruit trees. To those
who have given the subject any atten-
tion the wonder is that they grow to
produce any fruit at all, instead of do
ing fairly, as they sometimes do. But
few persons have any idea how much
food growing tree takes from the soil,
says the Record-Union. 1t is taken up,
of course, in liquid state. If any one
will but observe lawn near where
some large tree is growing it will be
demonstrated to him very soon. The
grass will droop and wither up for
distance as great as the spread of the
branches, while the rest OF the lawn
is still in fresh state. When this
is observed great many persons sur
mise that the soil is poor, causing thin.
and poor soil. 1t is not that but it is
on account of the great absorption of
moisture by the numerous roots of the
tree. They are spreading in every di-
| lCSblOAS IClluS lOi luOISbuT6 anu
food, and in this way they do make the
soil poorer than before. When small
fruits are planted within the radius of
| the pots there must be starvation for
one or the other. AS in all other cases,
the weaker one has to suffer, and in this
case it is the raspberry, blackberry,
strawberry, or whatever fruit it may be
that is planted. Even when not near
enough to be robbed by the large tree,
the sunlight they keep from them is det-
rimental to them.
1t may occur that no other place Of
fers for these plants, in which case the
best plan IS to feed literally with ma
nure, and if the season be moist one
there will be tolerable success, but in
dry season there is no easy way of keep
| ing moisture enough in the soil to sup
| ply all the roots demand. The soil,
situation and many other causes but
the right one are often blamed
for the ill-luck usually at
tending experiments of this kind. In
all gardening operations these facts are
worthy of being kept in mind. 1t often
occurs that flower borders are formed
along the skirt of a wood, and, of course,
with the worst possible success. The
stronger growth robs the weaker, which
is that of the shrubs and plants set in the
border. Flower beds are met with under
trees, where it is impossible for them to
thrive. In woods underbrush and flow
ers thrive, but it is because of the food
and moisture which decaying leaves and
twlgs afford them, and on sloping hills
there is always some moisture descend
ing from the higher ground. The place
to plant small fruits where they will do
their very best is in an open place, where
what food is in the soil is their own, and
where they can be cultivated and cared
for without having to consider anything
else. 1t is pity TO see gardeners set
ting fruit in such unsuitable places as
they often do. 1t is popular delusion
that under tree is damp place, and
it takes some experience to convince a
person that the opposite of this is cor
rect; which is the explanation why so
many failures to grow small fruits in
orchards are met with.
OUR WINES ABROAD.
F. 0. Boyd, OF the well-known New
York firm, has just returned from a
visit to Europe in the interest of the
California wine and brandy trade, as
we'll as in the interest of American alco-
hol and spirit, says Bonport's Circular.
He states that the outlook for business
in California wines and brandies in
Northern Europe is excellent. He first
visited Bremen, where he found the
prominent winedealers familiar with
California red wines. One house there
bought and sold 1000 barrels last year,
and are calculating on a steady increase
in the future, provided they can obtain
good sound wines at prices which
| ,ry,la oI of a,Na+i4iOY1 10
red wines shipped from France. He
says that there does not seem to be any
prejudice whatever against California
wine in Germany. He is of the opinion
that there is bright future for Califor-
MIA red wines in Germany and other
European countries, provided poor wines
are not sent to those markets again. In
the past some very injudicious consign-
ments were sent to Bremen and Ham
burg, but the bad effects have now
passed away, and dealers are prepared
to buy good sound wines.
In regard to brandy, Mr.. Boyd says
that he found one of the best brands
made in California now we'll established
in Bremen, and owing to its quality,
California brandy is favorably looked
upon. Although California brandy is
not readily mistaken for the real cognac,
yet it has marked advantage over a
great deal of the cognac exported from
France, as it is likely to be perfectly
pnre, and contains nothing but the un-
adulterated juice of the grape, and for
medicinal purposes is prescribed by
several of the leading German physi-
clans. Mr.. Boyd sold to one of the
leading wine merchants in Bremen
sample order of fifty barrels of
Vina brandy. He says that there is
no use in sending to Europe any but the
very best brandies that are produced in
California, as there is already enough
poor French brandy there which can be
sold cheaper than California brandy. In
England Mr.. Boyd submitted samples of
brandy to several of the leading mer-
chants, and the invariable opinion was
surprise that such brandy was produced
anywhere outside of France. He feels
confident that California brandy will
take well in England, and as the Eng
, lish people consume large quantity OF
brandy, the field is a promising one.