The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-07-14
FAMILIAR TALKS
Good Chances for Good Farmers Select
ing Plants for Setting

ing Plants for Setting
A bright, intelligent LOOKING mechan-
ic doing good business in Boston and
its suburbs recently made the statement
in a farmers meeting where tile profits
of agriculture were being discussed
that not fifty percent of the mechanics
of that city are able fully to meet their
bills as they become due through the
year. His income is $3.50 a day when
ON duty, but he is looking abnut for
chance to establish home in The coun.
try and is confident that he can better
his chances by the change. Was his
statement true? IL so. how does the life
of the mechanic compare with that OF
the farmer. What proportion of the
latter class are unable to par their
yearly expenses, and are either growing
poorer or getting part Of their living oui
of men who trust them for family sup
plies? always hesitate about advising
mechanics to give up their trade and
buy farm, especially If they know lit,
tie or nothing about farm managemt ut:
but that is nothing because have
LOST FAITH IN FARMING
as a business provided one likes 1T an1
has had a suitable training in that di-
rection There are influences that
make the life of the farmer harder than
think it ought to be, and in my own
case. it would be impossible for me tc
start again as young man choosing q
life work, but with my present knowl-
edge of worldly affairs / can conceive
of no occupation that would suit me as
well as the cultivation of the soil. Nor
can / picture any home that will com
pare in comfort and real enjoyment
with such as can be established by an
intelligent and Industrious person IN
the country. OF course there is q
chance for choice in location, but nc
more than when selecting city or vii
lage home.
The introduction of machinery has
done much to upset mems calculations;
it has thrown thousands out of employ
ment who were and are unable to adapt
themselves to the new conditions. II
has greatly affected farming, but not
as disastrously as it has many other in
dustries. While the principles under
lying agriculture remain unchanged, ii
is not SO hard for farmers to adapt
themselves to new conditions as it is
for those whose life work has been re-
stricted to narrow channel, doing one
thing over and over day after day, year
in and year out Poor farming in
which there is little brain work has be-
come decidedly improbable, but there
are still opportunities open for those
who will learn the business and pursue
it intelligently and persistently.
BLACKBERRY CULTURE.
Did farmers thoroughly understand
the laws of plant growth and fully OBJ
serve them, there would be less COM
plant about varieties running OUT
Just as poor results follow poor
breeding from inferior animals, SC
must disappointment and loss fol-
low from the propagation of weakly
plants of any kind. Strawberry grow
ers are learning that there is a great
difference in plants of the same variety.
No one of experience would now think
of using old bearing plants or runners
from such plants for setting out a new
bed Careful planters will not use all
the new plants from a young bed, but
only the most vigorous of those that
are nearest the mother plant. The
small runners thrown out late in the
season are nearly worthless for getting
crop of fruit. The same law holds
good in the selection of blackberry and
raspberry plants for setting. Plants
from strong, vigorous buds of equally
strong, vigorous bearers, are worth
more htan double what those would bs
from plants that were growinf
weak from neglect or some form of dis
ease.
r. M. Kellogg contributes to "Amef
ican Gardening some excellent advic.
on growing blackberries. He does moi
advise setting new plantation from
suckers. They have too few roots, and
what they have will run too far and
produce more suckers instead of strong
bearing wood. Mark few of the most
vigorous and most productive plants
while in fruit. In the fall dig up these
plants with all the large roots attached
Select those roots that are about the
size of lead pencil and cut them up
into three inch lengths and pack in
boxes of clean sand and store in cold
cellar that will not quite freeze. II
neither too warm nor too cold callouses
will form from which abundant root
growth will start in sp-Slc wher
planted out, as they should b, when
the soil is in good condition. Plant two
or three inches apart in nursery rows
and not over two inches deep. Water
or mulch if necessary in dry weather
In the fall take the plants all up and
after shortening in the roots to about
eight inches, pack in sand as in the
winter before. The ends of the roots
being again calloused will throw out
mass of new feeding roots, which
will draw on the soil near by, instead
of weakening the plant by straying q
long way off.
Fertilizers or manure placed close tc
the plants will be utilized in making
fruit instead of suckers. Set stakes
along the rows 80 to 40 feet apart on
which string a No. 9 wire and tie the
canes to the wire, spreading them out
in fan shape. BY this method the fruit
is easily picked and the berries are kept
clean. The canes should be shortened
in enough to prevent over-bearing, but
it is not advisable to stop the growth
by pinching during the growing season
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