The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-05-28
Home Fruit Garden Means Additional Health and Vim
Commercial Orchard Temporarily oys.as
nNE OF THE MOST important fea

~ lures of a suburban home, from
the standpoint Of health, is a
fruit garden maintained for the pur
pose of supplying the family with
fruits. 1t is amazing that even those
who have suitable situations and facili
ties for raising fruits, and who can
not purchase them because of remote.
ness from markets, have not estab
ished home fruit gardens.
The inhabitants of this country are
notably fruitloving and fruit eating
people. Notwithstanding this, however,
fruit culture has grown to be classed
among specialities, and few persons
who consume fruit are actual growers
The possibilities in fruit culture upon
restricted areas have been very gen
orally overlooked with the result that
many persons who own a suburban
home, or even farm, now look upon
fruit as luxury. A great deal of the
land which is now practically wasted
and entirely unremunerative can be
made to produce fruits in sufficient
quantity to give them regular place
upon the family bill Of fare, and at
the same time add greatly to the at
tractiveness of the table and health
fulness of the diet.
Home Garden Overshadowed.
With the growth of commercial fruit
interests of the United States the
home fruit garden has been over
shadowed by the orchard. While both
the home garden and the orchard are
essential to the good of the commun-
ity, they bear different relations to the
country as whole. The home garden
is always forerunner of commercial
development, and even in those local
tiles where climatic and soil conditions
are adverse to conducting such indus
tries ON an extensive scale, the home
fruit garden of the enthusiastic
amateur is certain to be found.
The home production of fruit stimu-
lates an interest and love for natural
objects, which can only be acquired by
that familiarity with them which
comes through their culture. The cul-
tivation Of fruits teaches discfimina-
tion. Ii every purchaser was a good
Judge of the different kinds Of fruits,
the demand for fruits of high quality,
to produce which is the ambition of
every amateur as well as every profes-
sional fruit grower, would become
reality. The encouragement Of the cul-
tiavtion of fine fruits in the home
garden will do much toward teaching
buyers to discriminate between the
good and the inferior varieties of
fruit.
Maintenance Is Pleasure.
The maintenance Of fruit garden
brings pleasure and healthful employ
ment, and as one s interest in growing
plants increases, this employment in
stead of proving hardship, will be-
come great source of pleasure. The
possession of a tree which one has
planted and reared to fruit production
carries an added interest in its pro-
duct as well 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-
Queer 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 suit
Bd to the space at command. In pro-
portion to size, dwarf trees are more
fruitful than standards; they come into
bearing sooner and are therefore of
Bpecial value for use in fruit gardens.
Roots Should Have Room.
At planting time all broken or de-
cayed roots should be cut away, leaving
Dnly smooth-cut surfaces and healthy
wood to come in contact with the soil.
If large part of the root area of the
plant has been lost in transplanting,
The top should be cut back in proper
hon to the roots remaining. By SO do
ing the demand made by the top when
The plant starts into growth can be
met by the root