The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1900-01-05
SMALL FRUIT SELECTIONS.
one Growers Opinions as 20 Varie-
ties That Succeed Here -rs The
Raspberry a Pavorite.

IPapor read by ~ Wm E Ross before the
San Juan County warmers Institute, November
20, 1901
We have heatd about the large fruits,
such as the pdnpkin, the squash, the
cabbage. the 81 saF beet apples, pears
aud so on.
1 will Gov occupy your time for a few
minutes whilc .iaien to something
about che small Fruits, such as the lus-
cious gooae1orfy and other small but
suceulent products, whoee cheeks may
not be dH ha1g fme as those Of the
peach, but Nho ege their lovers just
the same. Thou they are small they
have their impoEf Aee AN great things
have spall begihnings Small things
often make their .reaaA Ace felt in most
telling mdnner. he cs6ding moth, tue
flea and the ant, 1r instance--they are
small but they mase themselves felt in
way. Small hoy4 too. often make their
presence felt to lseip.older sisters and
their sisters loiE So it is with the
small fruits. Tkes are very important
10 the farmer aa wl as The consumer.
Small fruits c5n, in at tune when
there is no large ir1il and when every
one is anxious .. SEM Therefore,
they bring fair pris ld they come at
time when they q Sc cared for the
easiest.
Gooseberrist are 70 commonest and
hardest OF our snan fruits and with
proper care they GRO very large. They
need rich soil and yiaercus pruning, and
like all other small tu1e. they do best
with some shade bsca not mention
any special varieties h an know the
small ones do not pay lor the trouble Of
raising them. The la,gs Boglish varie-
ties are much tb bees
Curranis do well when they have
proper care but IL pliated and left to
grow wild they soes get small and
worthless. They mus pe thinned to a
few stalks in hill an the earth must
be kept well fertilized snd loose. Small
currants are worthless Fhon put on the
market. Therefore. Va should en6eavor
to grow the best that i,lin o0r power.
Strawberries are no cultivated here
very exten7ifeiy Is the@ bloom too early
in the spriag and Get fosn and when
the first fruit is killed y crop does nol
amount IS much. sems ,sars they Get
two or three freezin. srs 4 6r1ily
believe that if they uors anted 90 beds
made level and bordel Aeo thai the
water could be run etthgN to
cover ibe plania VI ~
lfEN IA tsa1s3A
~ AZ home eia Weei
Afdre
in good shape 81 NJ.
killed The beds cot Z arrange, :
The water could be st8kt hin the DhDe
bed apq carried over the bordet
tfoushs to the next bee below and So o
through the whole lat e beds. In tha
manner large lot ol lids could be co,
cred with water with ltltle trouble, an
I they could be so arranigod that the waite
/ could all be drained q II in the mOrninf
/ The chief expense woqild be making Tia
/ beds, but would they not pay well fo
the troubleY Mulchinlg is advocated, bu
it is not sufficient, it does not kee
them back long enou gh to insure a croI
The other method q loes not keep theI
back at all.
Backberries are bne of the finest q
our small fruits, bug thsy are not grow
to any extent in oud county, on accoun
of their tenderness and liability to &c
winter killed. There are a few ia tn
county that do we'd and are hardy. bu
| have been unabNa to learn the name
Of any Of them. x have tried grea
many different KINDS bat so far have no
found a variety that would winte
through without being covered.
Last but not le last / will mention tn
raspberry. ThlsIis the staple berry an
the one that does the best The red an
black varieties are both good Althoug
the red berries are too soft for shIppin
or drying purpobes, they are fine for tt
BILE use and to put up at home. And the
grow rank and baar ahundantly. III
Black Cap is the best all arouLd berr
and is Universal iavorite. IL is firm
and ships veil end when died Is YER
fine, and 60 drie1 f1fy easily and is
heavy bearer and casily picked. Tn
berries are large aud ineiy havofed. 1
is truly the king OF berries as the appl
is king Of the larger fruits,
RaEpberriea should be- set out abou
/ six feet apart each way and after thl
first year the shoots should be cut of
when they get about three to four fee
high. which usually comes by the frs
/ of July. This causes the shoots {,
branch out and these branches shouie
be cut bac1 during the following winter
to within six inches of the main stalk
From eight to ten shoots or stalks il
enough for each hill lf there are more
they should be cut off All the old last
years stalks that bore should be cut Of
at the ground when pruning A new
patch should be set out every five or elk
years as the berries do not do we'll after
they get six years old. A young patch
is the most profitable.
An farmers should have their berry
patches for their own uHe, II not to