Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1900-02-22
The Farmers Berry Patch.

The Farmers Berry Patch.
Paper Read by Mrs. VIM. Masterson at the
Audubon County Farmers Institute.
The farmers berry patch is one of, if not
the most important and useful, of all the
patches on the farm and one that IS gen
orally most neglected. If the average
farmer would cultivate the berry patch
as he does the corntieldS. he would have
better success, as it is through cultivation
| we obtain the best results from our berry
patches. The art must be worth cultivat-
ing that enables Il person to grow two
| berries by care and proper cultivation as
one by neglect and inattention. How
many farmers buy plants, set them out
and expect the soil and housewife to do
the rest, and although no better soil than
| Iowa's soil exists for the cultivation of the
| berry, still they have no berries and can
not perceive how it is. Doubtless they lay
| the fault to those from whom they bought
the plants. | do not believe in buying
| every new sort and variety that is sold by
| the fruit tree agents that canvass the
country, but those that are recommended
| by our experimental stations or by our
best horticultural papers. An yet believe
in testing new fruits, for it is through eN-
detrimental work with new sorts that we
approach the ideal. When a new candi-
date is offered for trial it should not be
condemned before it has thorough test, for
how do we know that it may not become
the ideal of our soil and climate The old
er berries that are now our standard COM
: mericial varieties were novelties few
years ago. 1t is true that the trial tests
are attended with some expense, as well
, as labor. We should not complain of the
expense or time that it takes to make the
6 test. The wealth that all our berry culture
adds to this great country came through
!, long years of patient trial. AT the begin
ming of this century there were almost
none, or we might say, no berries, except
the native berry of the forest. 1t is to
, these original berries, with few inporta
). lions, and the skillful management of pa
. tient propogators, that we are indebted fol
the many varieties of our berries. As we
: look over the farms of orr county we fine
), about 50 per cent of our farms that do no
a have this useful berry patch And thi:
a denotes the carelessness and character o
; the farmer to provide one of the mos
= healthful articles of food, and one of thu
cheapest if raised on the farm. We arr
told that Napoleon lost Waterloo bccaus
l. OF liulSeStlOn, ana many an event us iii
= portant has proved Waterloo from til
4 same cause. Vigorous health and fin
9 brain can proceed only from that perfec
!, physical condition which results iron
"a right living. and that right living is no
Al obtained without the berry patch. kno'
the proverb has said, Better a dinner {
herbs, with love, etc" But herbs as a cor
slant diet will pail on the taste if poorl
~ served. In this day of advanced Civiliz;
ton it ought to be possible to have bot
the herb and the berry. Every farnlt
should have all kinds of berries, both earl
and late, that are adapted to the climat
No farmers table need be without fires
le berries, small fruit from June to Oct
eS Der, and every day of the year have came
berries, besides the many culinary article
of personalities such as jellies, jams, etc
- that we make from our luscious berrie
and that no one knows how to better pr
n pare than the farmers wife. These pate
"a es do not necessarily need to be large
"a wanted only for home consumption. Gu
x rants and gooseberrieS can be planted
- the garden as they do not require mug
n room. a row of each four rods long won
K yield enough to insure Il crop of COOS
~ berries. They must be we'll pruned az
a niulched. In strawberry culture, thr
x things are essential; good ground, ao'
~ plants and good cultivation. And
E1 farmers table need be without them, as
Il requires but small plat of ground orai
~ enough for family use, and no other Der
rs is as profitable the strawberry. I
~ cultivation of blaCkberries and raspberri
~ are similar. l would plant in several ROY
|E1 where they can be reached to cultiva
,ES and gather the fruit without injuring t
~ canes. They require breathing space all
Ks They require an occasional stirring of t
,Es soil. but not deep enough to injure TIN
AV roots any. In dry seasons a good mul
(S1 through the summer is excellent for t
% plants. The mulch keeps the top soil {,
w and moist and prevents the berries fro
81 drying up. Raspberries, find Gregg b.
MS of the black caps and Cutbert best of
M red variety, as they are very producti'
81 the Snyder blackberry the most har
NS and best adapted to this locality;
w Wilson will produce more berries but M
81 be protected or they winter-kill. Ancit
~ Britain is larger and better flavor
w berry than the Snyder, not so hardy, II
81 those that were on the north slope ste
NS the winter of a year ago while those on
w southern slope We're all killed. For crap
81 Concord is a good grape for this china
- also Nloore's Early for early gra
w Warden, in my opinion. is the best of
u around grapes grown. as it is of 20
~ size, an excellent flavor, and is very
w sirable for home use. will wonder fr
81 the starting point and include the cher
M as they come so near to the berry. Ev
w farm should have them. They are III
81 easily grown than the berry and will
"a dure more neglect, and for canning Il