The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-04-16
THE HOME FRUIT GARDEN


people. Notwithstanding this, how
ever. fruit culture has grown to be
Glansed among specialities, and few
persom who cons me fruit are actual
growers. The possibilities in fruit
culture upon restricted areas have
Aesn very generally overlooked with
The result that many persons who own
. suburban home, or even farm, now
1oak upon fruit as luxury. A great
asal Of the hand which is now practic'
any wasted and entirely unremunera'
tive can be made to produce fruits In
snmc3ent quantity to give them regu-
la1 place upon the family bill Of fare,
a1d a. the same time, add greatly to
the attractiveness OF the table and
hea1thfulness Of the diet.
The growth Of the commercial fruit
garden has been over-shadowed by the
orchard. While both the home garden
and the orchard are essential to the
good of the community, they bear dir
ferent relations to the country as a
whole. The home garden is always
fore1unner of commercial development,
and even in those localities where
,cN1aatic and soil conditions are ad-
verse to conducting such industries on
IN extensive scale, the home fruit
garden Of the enthusiastic amateur is
certain to be found.
The home production OF fruit stima'-
lates IN interest and love for natural
objects, which can only be acquired by
TINT familiarity with them which comes
xh1oush their culture. The cultivation
At fruits teaches discrimination. II
STay purchaser were a good Judge OF
tho different kinds Of fruits, the de-
nnad for fruits Of high quality, to pro
llnos which Is the ambition to every
anRtolH as we'll as every professional
Grslt grower, would become a reality.
Tue encouragement of the cultivation
u dne fruits In the home garden will
10 1auch toward teaching buyers to dis
cr1nhnate between the good and the In
Terror varieties Of fruit.
The maintenance of fruit garden
bI41Es pleasure and healthful employ
1aeu4, and as ones interest in growing
plants Increases, this employment In
stead Of proving hardship, will become
. great source of pleasure. The pos
session of tree which one has planted
and reared to fruit production carries
an added interest in its product as we'll
as In the operation by which it was
secured.
Most persons engaged in the cultiva-
ton Of home fruit gardens will have
as their Chief aim the production of
fruit for the family table, and the
pleasure it affords. Fruit growing
should claim the attention of the pro-
.ducer from early spring to Late autumn.
In order to secure satisfactory re-
suits IN limited area devoted to fruit
culture, one must know the methods Of
pruning, training, and culture best
suited to the space at command. In
proportion to size, dwarf trees are
more fruitful than standards; they
come into bearing sooner and are
therefore OF special vatrte for use tn
FRUIT gardens.
At planting time all broken or de-
3cayed roots should be cut away, leav'
ing only smooth-cut surfaces and
Aealthy wood to come in contact with
the soil. II a large part Of the root
lafea Of the plant has been lost in
transplanting, the top should be cut
hack in proportion to the roots remain
ing. BY so doing the demand made by
the top when the plant starts into
growth can be met by the root.
The holes in which trees, vines or
shrubs are to be set should be ample,
30 that the roots Of the plants may
have full spread without bending them
out of their natural course. The earth
at the bottom of the holes should be
loosened a spade depth below the line
of excavation. The soil placed i'm
mediately in contact with the roots of
the newly set plant should be rich top
soil, free from sod or trampling, as
this brings the soil particles together
and at the same time in close contact
with the surface of the roots. A move
ment Of soil water is thus set up and
the food supply of the soil brought i'm
medlately to the use Of the plant.
When the operation of transplantine
is complete, the plant should stand /
or 2 inches deeper than it stood in the
nursery. .-.. ....
The interest of fruit garden may
be. greatly exchanged by growing in
them plants not adapted naturally to
the climatic region in which the gard
en- liz located, as, for instance, the
growing Of figs as far north as the
latitude Of Philadelphia. The summers
Of the region are sufficiently long and
warm to induce a strong growth in the
fig, but as the fruits normally require
long period in which to mature, the
plant becomes useless as a fruit pro-
5,t.