Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-04-11
Growing Small Fruits as Business.
(E. r. HitchiDgs, Associate Professor Of Horti.
r. a.

Growing Small Fruits as q Business
&c. =. HitchiDgs, Associate Professor Of Hort
culture, in Farmers week.)
Maine offers every opportunity for th'
growing of small fruits commercially
The outlook was never better, and the
field 10 not restricted to few more favor
ed localities. Markets are good and
have never been fully supplied. A first
class article 10 always In demand at
price that will return good profit.
Advantages: Her advantages are
many. A long extent of seaooast, where
transportation is of the best, railroad
and trolley lines connecting with same
or supplying through lines to the best OF
markets. A yearly increasing number Of
summer visitors who come to enjoy 0uI
many products.
Where to locate: The 6rst question
then to consider is location. In deciding
this question the following factors
should be taken into consideration
First, investigate the present supply OF
the location desired to see II 1t is sufa-
cient. Certain sections may be abun.
dainty supplied by local growers 80 that
any addition would cause Q surplus or
glut the market. Second, consider the
question of adaptable land at . reason
able price, labor problems with sufficient
help at the critical period, transporta.
ton facilities, both near by and to distant
markets.. providing the home market
should prove inadequate. II the demand
is greater than the supply, and other
factors are favorable, then the choice OF
location can easily be determined.
Soil adaptation: Most small fruits
are best grown on . medium light loan.
Virgin soil such a. good pasture land is
very desirable for several reasons 1t 10
generally free from weeds, insect pests,
and diseases, and hence can be brought
into good condition for fruit growing by
sufficient preparation.
Soil preparation: It requires at least
two years to prepare new or old grass
land for ideal conditions. With new
land there will be the removing Of
bushes, rocks and stumps; the leveling
Of the cradle knolls; incorporating hu-
mus by the use Of green crops; with one
year at least of some good cultivated
crop. With old sod land, the sods must
be rotted, insects destroyed, and witch.
grass and other weeds controlled. In
either case 1t requires the full allotted
time to secure the desired results.
What fruits to grow: Strawberries
are the first and most universal small
fruit crop. They are the most popular,
give the quickest retorns, with the larg-
est yieid per acre. Among the newer
kinds the several varieties Of the ever
bearing are coming to the front, as a
popular out of season fruit that are very
acceptable, and bid fair to be great ad.
dition as q commercial product. Red
raspberries follow, and among them the
fall everbesripg promises to be close
second to the everbearing strawberry;
they come into bearing early in the sea-
son and last until late frosts destroy the
crop. The reds are followed by the
purple canes and the blackcaps, all of
which have their place, but are not so
popular as they do not rate so high as
dessert fruit. Currants and gooseber-
ries are more restricted az commercial
berries; the demands in Maine not being
so great az in other sections. Black
berries are in good demand, but the two
leading commercial berries are the
and red raspberry.
Capital required: But little capital is
needed to 60 into the small fruit busi-
ness above what would be required for
general farm work. The first cost of
plants would be the most important
item. to this would be added the fertiliz-
or and marketing outfit.
Side lines: Usually some other line
of work is carried on in connection with
the small fruit business; among the
most popular of which are market gar.
dening, poultry raising, and orchard
work.
We have great faith In the small fruit
of the state, and strongly be.
lieve that there Is no other single line OF
horticultural work that will give 80
good returns in SO short time and with
80 little capital.