The Republican journal., 1903-12-31
Fruit for theF armer' I
family
How to Secure an Annual pply
strawberries and Other 81 Fruit
Some Good Varieties to . KilliI
Witch-Grass.

Some Good Varieties to Killing
Witch-Grass.
Mr.. r. l.. Davis, Called ois county,
vermont, writes to me as fot rs: "We
jntend to set out some fruit Its next
snring in our family gard How
many red and black raspbeE black
berries, currants, strawbeu S. and
other small fruits should w eed for
our family Of four or tlveHNe are
fond Of fresh berries, and lid also
like to secure full supply put up
for winter use. What varl9 would
he suitable for this part Vermont,
and at what distances shou9bey be
nlanted with view to no Ae6l(tiva-
tioa. We have some witch-s 6s: do
Won know of any way to get of it?
In answer through the NewE gland
Farmer would greatly oblige.
am always glad to learn ia farm
ars are paying more attentiQ b the
cnltiyation of fruit for FAM use.
Too many farmers fail in tn, egard
and thus miss much of the pls hre of
country life as compared tt life
among brick walls and noisy reefs.
We'll ripened fruit is not only bod to
the taste, but it is wholesome may
he grown at comparatively sA cost
i ole Will only give it litt!t re at
lie proper time.
strawberries are frequently NJ Nn at
As little expense by the bushe Is are
notatoes or field corn. | know II rmer
who makes a practice OF SettlE me or
more rows of STRAWBERRIES on edge
nf his cornfield and then givs them
fine same care that he does Es7torn,
,5.vating between the rows the
same time he cultivates his COIL The
rows are the same distance anI4, but
r.t plants are set about tWiceaN near
together in the rows as corn isah hlally
planted. The farm is small n the
same land is in corn two OF mGeS years
1rfore being seeded down tt Frass.
zach spring when fitting the ID for
crOp new rows of straWbeM& are
81 ont by the side of the old @6 AS
m. plants are so near it is tutGittle
w..z to take them up with atibwel,
and is a little block of earth taken
Mia the plants there is no l&s# from
,ansplanting and no watering Il nee
e,,arv. If the ground is kept I'D cul-
-fyated and free from weeds tte& will
fp dttle to do the next seaad but
gat er the fruit. The old bediN then
slowed up as a rule and planted to
some quick growing crop. ThSl my
o4n practice except that inSa4d OF
horse cultivation | do all the wNA with
t1rd tools. It is almost alWaE BETTER
"a. sci new bed than to clean obt an
1.d one that is much weedy or Ttssy.
hundred good plants we'll carE n for
o. 1=rtile land will give smallNmlly
$ h feast for three weeks as you'd
convince them that they could hever
afford to be without straWberE bed
d.: Ihcii own again. Yet have AoWn
raYv to luXuriate i'll their tlB@ crop
aaa neglect setting a new bee ahd SO
go without other years. A nledred
paHts set IS inches apart IL th6 row
and allowed to make runners the first
season ought to produce at least two
busltels the next June. Groves often
get lauch lager yields. From 200 to
lp bushels to the acre are among the
.-cords published in newspapers and
truit books. There is always 50 much
uncertainty about the weather that one
should allow for bad seasons when
p.anting and not try to see how few
b.ants one can get along with butsplan
.ather for a surplus should the season
p.oVe favorable.
have named 100 plants as being
enough to get a good start and 2 lib
e.aJ taste of fruit. 1t is unwise to
pant more of anything than will be
taken good care of through thes sea
,ul. Strawberries and raspberres i'll
crease rapidly, so that from few pur-
cfased a large stock can soon be OBJ
5ued. A dozen each of red and black
r4spDerries and blackberrieS viii soon
eve one all the plants one may reed.
,urrants do not multiply Ike the
others named. but dozen good pushes
each Of two varieties would glye more
IHlt than many families woud#con-
me- | have about a hundred oushes
aad get from 10 to Is bushels o. fruit
ZACH year. /.
My cur7ants were set about thr3e feet
apart in rows between peal tres, but
when the ground is rich they soon
crowd one another.
RasDberries and blackberrles may be
planted at that distance but the suck
-.s that spring up from the roots should
be kept well thinned out. Most people
soon let them become too thick and
tlas diminish the yield of fruit.
For Vermont | should recommend
tie Snyder blackberry in preference to
any variety l am acquainted with. 1t
is hardy, very prolific and of good quail
ito. though not as large as some of the
noIe tender varieties. The Cuthbert
Is considered the most generally reli-
able red raspberry. Gregg is ONT of
the best blackcaps, but no black | lave
ever seen compares in quality with the
best reds.
Strawberries vary so in their adapt
ability to soil and climate that it is
Of little use to attempt naming the hest
without knowing which succeed we'll
in the vicinity of the planter. | am
raising the Brandywine, William Belt
and Bubach as leaders, but am trying
newer varieties that promise well with
me, among which are Sample, Glen
Mary and Mckinley. l think ope who
cares much for berries will do well to
try a few of the newer sorts often, but
| would not pay high prices for large
numbers before giving them trial on
a small scale. There is much disap-
continent in regard to new varieties
that have not been we'll tested under
many varying conditions. Just begin
10 raise small fruits freely for nome
consumption and the taste for both the
fruits and their cultivation will in
crease with the grower.
Witct-grass is easily killed in hot
weather by exposing the roots to
the sun and drying winds, and
II may be greatly weakened by heavy
crnnninp with nlants that give a dense