The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-10-06
VALUABLE HINTS ON FRUIT
THE BEST FRUITS FOR THE
BLACK HILLS.
PROF. COOK aIvLs GOOD TALK
Experienced Fruit Grower Gives
Sound Advice to Black
Hills Growers.

Within ten years l hope and ex
pect to see this region recognized as
as one of the best OF the fruit grow
ing sections of the North Centra
States"
Such is the statement made by
Prof. Cook of the Spearfsh Normal
in a pamphlet issued recently. The
pamphlet continues as follows:
"My father was a nearly lifelong
small fruit grower. SO that l was
brought up in the business, and al.
though finally decided to become
teacher, fruit growing has never
ceased to be q fascinating subject
to me. l mention this lest people
knowing me as a teacher should in
fer that my knowledge of fruit grow
ing must be clearly theoretical.
Twenty years ago l came to the
Black Hills and found conditions OF
altitude, soil and climate very diff
ferenr from any of which / had
practical knowledge, l lost no time
in trying to learn through extended
observation what fruits are adapted
to this region. l was disappointed
in getting much information of value
for in that early day there seemed to
be no one growing fruit who had any
previous knowledge of the business.
The limited efforts made in this d.
rection we're therefore mainly unin-
telligent and uninstructive.
"After five years of uniruitful OBJ
servation, having no land of my
own, l leased five acres of land for a
term of six years at ten dollars an
acre. The problems to be solved
were, first, what fruits can be prof
itablJ grown in the Black Hills; sec
ond, what varieties of these fruits
are best adapted to this particular
locality. One of the most vital
truths in fruit culture learned in nv
boyhood days, d truth of great value
to me now Us l was about TO attempt
the solution of the problems named,
was that varieties are very local in
their behavior. some OF them much
more so than others, to be sure, but
the fact that variety of strawber-
ries. raspberries, currents, ETC., does
well in one locality is no guarantee
that it will not be worthless in
another. Most people think it mat
ters little what variety they set, and
they usually fail to get sort adapt
ed to their locality. This lack Of
knowledge will account for half the
failures in fruit growing. This is a
matter of so much Importance that
will endeavor to make it still palmer
by relating some of my personal ex-
perience in illustration. In carrying
out my general plan it seemed indis-
pensable that every variety OF ber-
ries prominent commercially in any
section of the northern states should
be carefully and repeatedly tested.
This would cost many hundred dol
lars. l proposed therefore to try
to meet part, at least, OF the ex-
pense by putting in for market pur-
poses a comparatively large acreage
of one or two sorts of each fruit,
selecting the sort most profitable in
other localities. l chose for nv
money makers, not to stop to give
the whole list, the Haverland straw.
berry, fertilized with the Lovetu, the
Cuthbert red raspberry, thevictoria
currant. Every one of these famous
varieties except the Lovett straw
berry, proved total failure. cou-
tinued to try them for years ON dif.
fereht soils and with differences OF
of culture. but in vain. In some
regions they are the most profitable
of varieties; in the Black Hills worth.
less.
GAS to the tinds Of small fruits
that may be grown in the Black Hills
| met with some great surprises
Straw berries. red raspberries, dew.
berries, currants, and gooseberries,
providing the right varieties are Sc.
leeted, aud the best of care given,
are enormously Rred4stiye, bat am
ta;uuaipled with no other region