Little Falls herald., 1908-04-24
Small Fruit and the Orch
ard.-Fruit Can be Prof.
itab1y Grown

point. For home use all the above
fruit may be proitably grown.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. do
hest when set out in the spring
Plant in rows three feet apart and two
feet apart in the row. Frequent
cultivation is required the first season
What blossoms appear should be
piEked off, as fruiting the first year
Waakens the plant. The runners
should be kept in the row where they
will form new plants:
sit is recommended to cover the bed
with straw or hay sometimes during
tie winter when the ground is frozen
ana covered with snow. The purpose
is to keep the plants from blossoming
ii the spring till danger of frost is
nast. The straw should be removed as
so0n as the frost is out of the ground.
III nav be left between the rows as q
m11lch. The best results on the
Exneriment Farm, however. have
heen obtained when the straw has
been removed entirely and the plants
cultivated up to the time the berries
are ready to pick
Several varieties of strawberries
have done nearly equally we'll among
which are the Senator Dunlop,
Splendid, Lovett, Clyde, Brandwine
and Budwood.
Strawberries grown in Northeastern
Minnesota won practically all the
nrizes at the st. Louis exposition.
RASPBERRIES- Raspberries when
set out are permanent, and do not
require resetting as the strawberry.
The canes, however, die after fruit
ING. and have to be cut out, and the
voIlnp canes that come up every year
need to be laid down in the fall and
covered with earth to insure against
winter killing. They blossom later
in the spring than the strawberry and
are seldom endangered by frost
The red varieties do best in this
section of the state and of these the
London, King and Marlboro have
given best results.
CURRANTS-Both the red and
white varieties of currants have done
especially we'll. They require no
winter protection, and find as ready a
market as the strawberry or raspberry.
The same may be said of the goose
berry though not commanding so
good market.
BLACKBERRY-The blackberry
produces a very fine fruit It requires
the same care and protection. as the
raspberry Its yield has not been
nearly SO we'll as the raspberry and it's
large and coarse growth of cane makes
it disagreeable to handle.
BUFFALO BERRY-The buffalo
berry grows into small tree. Aside
from its fruit it is useful as hedge
or for ornamental purposes Its fruit
has little commercial value, being
used only for jelly, and for this use it
is very highly favored.
HIGHBUSH CRANBERRY-This
is still in an experimental stage as to
it's commercial value It grows we'll.
THE PLUM-Nearly all the
varieties of plums recommended for
Minnesota have been grown and many
of them have done very we'll, among
which are the Cheney, Wolf, Weaver,
and New Ulm. The Aitkin plum
which is frequently spoken of has been
found unsatisfactory. It is the
earliest in maturing, but poor bearer
<''ltl APPIEsNThe '1Pi first apple orchard SET
out was put on a sandy soil and
proved a failure. A second orchard
was planted in more favorable soil
three wears ago, but as yet IS only ir
an experimental stage About so pei
cent Of the trees have winter killed,
but those surviving promise to beal
fruit. All the standard varieties were
,1sed. but no one thus far has PROVED
harder than the rest. The soil or
which they are grown is not the bes
for apple trees, being somewhat sandy
A clay soil is best and farmer hav
ing Clay soil favorably located for a,
orchard has a much greater assuranc
of success.
Apples are being grown YER
successfully in certain sections o
Northeastern Minnesota, and it is no
evident that we are too far north.
is recommended. however, that i
providing home grown fruit, to inves
in apple trees only in an experiments
way. A few trees is ample to stal
with. The best Investment is in tt
smaller fruits, that are sure, and ft
home use fully as desirable as tt
The apple trees recommended
most hardy tor this section of Il
state are the Duchess, Hierna
Charlamoff, Patterns Greening a,
Okabena. In raising all kinds of fru
there is one rule we have found tn
is OF Importance in this section of t
state, and that is to cultivate. Gra
grows with such vigor and persisten
that it will take possession of t
ground even against plum tire.
Cultivation is important especial
during the early life Of the plant a
at all times for the smaller fruits.
A. J. MCGUIRE,
Supt. Experiment Station
Grand Rapids, Mir