Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-10-29

makes up hugely the skill of the sue
ccssful buttor Maker Farm, Field
aud FiresIdc.
SMALL FRUITS on THE FARM.
Hundreds OF articles have been writ
ten on the ndvisability Of farmers rails
ing small fruit for their own use. but
there IL room for hundreds Of more
articles II they will In any way tend
to bring about this desirable end.
As n rule, farmers live well, but
their tables show little variety. and
they rarely have any of those delight
fully wholesome subacid fruits, even
during the hot summer months when
such fruits are most craved. In the
fall and winter they have apples, and
occasionally there Is farm that has
few pear trees; but where one farmer
has strawberries and currants and
gooseberries, there are ten that do not.
III the children are too small to be of
much use on the farm, they are sent
after huckleberries and blackberries,
and the older members of the family
eat them with n relish that ought to be
an inducement for them 70 have fruit
of their own. But rs soon as the
berries are gone they go back apathet-
ically to their diet of bread and meat
and milk, in its various combinations.
/ am convinced that IL is not from a
distaste OF the work or expense in
volved that they neglect the small
fruits SO Systematically. But the far
mer, perhaps more than any other per-
son, Is Il creature of habit. He seldom
complains of his own work. but finds
1t almost impossible to step beyond
certain accustomed limits. lie will
work from early morning till late night
day after day and year OTTER year, and
don't feel it any special grievance; but
If he Is brought face 10 face with a
half-hOur's work tout Of his line," in
the house, or the flower-gartlen, or any
where, he vii pay ten prices to have it
done rather than do it himself. 1t is
easy TO raise Strawberries and other
small fruit" you tell him, and he
agrees with you, but says that lie
don't know much about EN-" and is
too old to learn" And that Is all
there Is TO II. You may talk to him
until the end of time, and he viii agree
with YOU In everything, but he does not
set any fruit. just the same.
l have known Il farmer leave his
work and tramp all day over the fields,
and return at might with a quart or
two of wild Strawberries that n fruit
dealer would have rejected with scorn.
He exhibits Them triumphantly, and it
is scarcely worth while to tell him
that one half his labor would have set
out n strawberry bed that would lave
furnished him with line berries every
day for weeks.
Now and then farmer is Induced to
give them trial, but the chances are
that his interests will not go beyond
the setting. and that the vines will be-
come clrokcd with grass and weeds
or two. with the remark that they
turned out just as he expected.
And here lies one OF the great diff
culties. To certain eXten the apple
trees and pear trees and peach trees
take care OF themselves, but the small
fruit is not SO accommodating. 1t Is
ready to yield an abundant return, but
must be understood and have some
care. Perhaps the best methd Is 10 let
the strawberries bear once, and then
plow them up. l have tried most of
the methods advocated, and like this
best. Set the vines in tile spring. and
keep them hoed the first year. going
over thcm three or four times ifg nee
essary. 1t will not take more than
half an hour to hoe Il bed large enough
to raise fifteen or twenty bushels. The
next spring take some of the fresh
runners and set Il new bed. and after
the old one Is through bearing. plow it
up. IL Is easier tllan keeping the grass
and weeds out, and | am convinced
gives better results.
A half days work In preparing
ground and setting plants and another
half day in hocing and the compensa-
ton Is all the delicious Strawberries
your family can possibly eat and
generous quantity for your neigbbors
or to sell, il you so wish.-The New
York Ledger.