The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-04-01
Grow Your Own Fruit

Have you ever gathered for your
sell, from your own vines, punches
Of luscious grapes which had ripen-
ed where they grew. with the bloom
still on them, and the full amount
Of sugary juice that Nature intended
still in them?
Then you know that TO have
grapes to perfection, you must grow
your own. Grapes that have ripen-
ed in transit are lacking in the full
real flavor. or are soft and mushy
To have them both ripe and firm and
plump. and full of su2ary sweetness,
grow your own.
And then-Grapp juice,
There is no more delicious beye-
rage You can keep it sweet -
just grape juice or you can make
your own light wine. 1t is simpler
than any other kind of home brew"
you can attempt-simpler and better.
Grapes Require Little Space
You may not have room for your
own fig-tree, but you surely have
have room for your own vine. You
needn't have room for row of
grapes in the garden, or even for a
grape arbor; you can grow them on
trellises or even against the house,
as they max" splendid vines for
shade.
I have seen eXcelleni grapes grow
in abundance, year after year, on a
vine that served the double purpose
of shading the veranda, and supply
ing the table. The grapes are really
ideal for this sort Of d combination,
because most of the vines should be
cut away every fall, and this gives
free play for the sun TO enter during
the winter months when it is want
ed
Pruning Means Luscious Fruit
With no plants is it more import
ant to give thorough pruning, if you
want quality fruit, than With your
grapes. And yet it is very easy to
keep them in good condition, because
this pruning can all be done at one
time; and done during the fall or
winter when you have little other
garden work to attend to. Pruning
your vines to get big luscious grapes
and lots of them is simple if you
once understand the general princi-
pie.
The Fruit Is Borne On Wood OF The
Same Seasons Growth
In other words. the grapes you will
pick next fall are borne on wood that
grows this spring and summer. Now
if a grape vine is left to itself, after
two or three years it becomes such
a tangled mass that is cannot begin
to mature all the fruit it sets, and
the result is the small and mal-form-
ed berries so often seen. If, on the
other hand, every branch or lateral
is cut back each fall to within few
inches of the main stem, or stems,
then the new canes thrown out the
following year will have room to
grow and a chance to develop fine
fruit. You can cut away fOur-ffths
of your grape vines, in the fall with
out hurting them particle.
Some Good Varieties !.
In regards to varieties, as l made
plain in the first of these articles, it
is we'll to buy only of some thorough
ly reliable nursery firm. and to be
largely by their advice as to the sorts
adapted to your special locality. In
most sections of the country. how
ever, any of the following varieties
may be depended upon. And taken
together, - (three to half dozen
varieties of each), they will give
you a long succession of delicious
grapes.
Black varieties: Campbell's Early,
which is far superior to the old Con-
cord; and Worden. Red: Lindley
light-colored and very sweet; and
Delaware, one of the most popular
of all. White: Diamond and Nj
agra. Stark Delicious and Caco
Catawba-Concord) are two newer
red sorts that have won great favor
Pocklington, light golden colored
sort. is not so well known as 1s-ast
of the above, but is especially fine
for the home garden, for the table.
To get any of these in perfect
punches. for table use. the simplest
and surest method is to bag" the
punches, as soon as the fruit is the
of small peas. Wired paper bags,
made especially for the purpose, may
be boughr from most seed and sup
ply houses.
Secret Of Growing GOOD Currants
CurrantS are like grapes in that
Pruning is most important part of
their culture. They are so easy to
grow, that every home garden should
have its supply. even if there is
room for only one variety. such as
Perfection a bright red sort. White
grapes and Black Champion may be
added is space permits.
Currants will thrive in any good
soil: In fact, they are so hardy that
they will survive under continued
neglect. But for really fine fruit,
prune out the old wood, that has
borne three or four crops and enough
of the new wood to leave the bush
es open and uncrowned. This will
give fruit two or three times the
size of that which grows on bushes
left to themselves. If the currant
worm puts in an appearance. he can
be controlled by busting just as soon
as the little worms are noticed, with
helibore powder.
Gooseberries also require very
free pruning, not only to increase the
size of the fruit, but to keep the
plants so open that sun and wind
may freely strike all parts of it, and
thus decrease the danger of mildew.
Some of the American sorts, such as
Josselyn and Downing, are resistant
to the mildew, but the English varie-
ties, like Victoria, are safer to plant