Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-11-11
agricultural.
Modern Fruit = arming.

Thai vsll-condueted orchards, inolud-
Ing tbe sn.u fruits. are more profitable
than ordinary branches of farming is a
fact that thousands of farmers are be-
ginning TO learp. Bat it 10 not the
natural conservatism Of average farmers
that Keeps them from making this
change. 1t is eae which. if made over
the shole farm, will involve expenses
that few farmers can afford. In fact, it
can only be done by large purchases of
commercial manures. chiefly potaah and
phosphate. Yet 80 many are the enc
mics Of fruit that, even when the trees
and plants have been fertilized at great
expense, the fruit may be destroyed by
blight and the farmers be left in the
Z Q The only remedy, IS farmers are
slowly learning. is TO cultivate as great
AtAfiety Of frnits as possible, 80 that if
two, or three entirely fail, there may be
enough Others 70 take their place. We
do not FheAu BY this that . large assort-
inent OF varieties of the same species be
planted. Most market orchards have
faf too many, and If their owners we're
, asked which Of al these had more than
paid expenses, their answer would be
restricted 70 not more than two or three
sorts Of any species, and in some not
more than one For home use IS many
vade6es as there are tastes may be
grown. But this is not business. Usu-
ally die farmer. whose orchard is Of the
best paying variety, finds that kind good
enough for Himself and family. II it
isn't, then DO had better grow some
thing else, for popular taste is capri
cious aud cannot be long depended on
to favor what is not really good.
II the farmer has money enough to
tide over nonproduotive seasons. will it
pay bin to set his whole farm, in fruits I
We Aelieye II, siAsif the farm is re-
duced 10 size, so that one man can do
oil the work Of cultivating and caring
for trees until fruit gathering time.
Most Of The esstern good farming land
10 destined, We Believe, ID BE- divided into
small holdings and set with fruit. 1t
will produce more in money value, and a.,
70 achieve. abS ia nutritive value thus,
thAufif cropped with ordinary farm crops
An apple tree which occupied less than
four square rods Of land has been Known
to bear upwards Of IS bushels of fruit
in q single season, and this at the time
sold Of . price that would make the
la6d yisld more thaA B79O per acre
There were more than Is barrels of
apples on the tree, and they sold at one
dollar per barrel. With berries. and
these, are surer than large fruit, larger
money returns per acre than this have
been secured . H---IiH PR
With better understanding Of the
means for fighting insects and fungous
diseases, the growing Of fine fruit is
smdd8 le& bszardOss thsp L used to be
Much. however, depends on having a
good location and With the small fruits
on . good near retail market. This, of
course, limits the amount that each in
disidEal erdter Gan produce. At least
8 part 0ftks crop ought always to be sold
at retail. The farmer who goes into
fruit growing depending wholly on sell
ing it to commission houses, will find so
many profits taken Between the field and
tho consumer that bis own share in the
profit will be nothing american CHl-
d, tivntor.