The Portland daily press., 1896-04-22
(Joseph MeehaD.)

Small Fruits For the Garden.
(Joseph Meehan.)
The farmer who raises small fruits for
his family has reason to pity the poor
CITY folks who really hardly know what
perfect fruit is. For market 1T Is ueces-
sary to gather fruit before it reaches it's
best development, SO that those who pur-
chase it do not have it in the perfection
| they do who raise it. Where it does not
already exist, there should be an enclos-
ure for fruit not far from the dwelling
house. There should be in it the prinoi-
pal sorts, such as curranu, gooseberry,
strawberry, dewberry, raspberry and
blackberry. None of these demand grea,
care, nor are any,. save the ourrantt
troubled by insects. The currant worm
troubles it, but this can be easily over
come by busting the bushes with pow
dered helleboro, as soon as the first
worms are seen. or ourrants, the large
berried red ones ara now planted to the
exclusion of the fold Red Dutch. Yer.
SALES and Ruby are good, SO is Fay's pro-
life; and Victoria should be planted for
it's lateness. These are red ones. OF
white kinds, White Versailles and White
Grape are the favocites. Sometimes the
black currant is planted, being valued
for it's preserving purposes. The white
curran is are the sweetest of all
There is not the choice in gooseberries
that there SHOULD be. The old native
sorts, Dopwning and Cluster, are small
fruited, though prolific bearers. There
are improved sorts out, but not yet in
general cultivation. The Smiths I'm
proved is one. 1t is green oolored one.
There are two American seedlings OF
the English type which seem very promis
ing. They are the Columbus, a greenish
yellow one, and the Triumph, golden yell
low. Both of these should be tried. The
real English sorts suffer from leaf mildew
when in a hot place. They like to be in
a partial shade; then they do fairly we'll.
The strawberry Is favorite with every
one and room must be made for some
rows of it. 1t is not safe to recommend
any kinds for general cultivation since it
has teen found that soil and locality have
SO much to do with the well-doing of this
fruit. In the ordinary good soil Of this
State tho following sorts are the most
planted: Bunaboh (P, Charles Downing,
Cumberland, Candy, Haverland lPjs
Lovett's EARLY, Michel's Early and
Sharpless. Those marked (P) bear
pistillate or imperfect flowers, lacking
stamens, and will not bear fruit unless
planted near some of the other kinds.
| AS the cultivated blackberries are
much better than wild ones, 1T is an In
ducement to have them. Wilson'S early,
Kittatinny and Lawton are the most
planted here, but In colder locations
Ancient Briton, Snyder and Stones
hardy are to be preferred. The dewberry,
which is a trailing blackberry, is repre-
sented in the Lucretia. Raspberries are
almost as necessary as Strawberries and
they fill gap in the season between the
latter and the black berry. Of the red
ones, Cuthbert leads for general planting.
Others are Hudson River, Clarke, Relia--
BILE, Philadelphia and Hansell. Miller is
new one of great promise. In the line
| Vi udulf5 Ul'toh ouo ., OIcES Ia 0Le lQOSG
esteemed here. Johnson's sweet, man.
moth cluster and Ohio are also good sorts
All these fruits can be set in spring,
doing the work as early as possible AS
| to the right distances to plant them from
each other, it may be given in general
way. as follows: Currants, to feet
gooseberries, the same; strawberries,
foot; raspberries, to 4 feet; blackber
/ nil A 10 K foot nd
ries transplant so easily that great deal
of pruning Is not required at the time.
But 1t is not easy to get much root to
blaokberries or raspberries, SO it is recon.
mended that the canes be cut off at
about inches above the ground. No
fruit must be looked for the first season.
The young canes which should spring up
are the ones to be encouraged, as these are
what give the fruit the following season.
Dew berries may be allowed to run at will
the first season, and then tied to stakes
| for fruiting.