The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1927-05-06

in ordinary garden soil and clean Gull
tivation at first. Later, it will be
benefited by a surface dressing of
manure. Do not put the manure in
to the ground so that the roots come
in contact with it. Strawberries do
well. They need a winter covering of
straw or other loose material. This
covering should be put on after the
ground has frozen about one inch in
depth, and removed in April. We
have grown two varieties, the Dunlap
and Progressive Everbearing for
about ten years. The Dunlaps have
been more satisfactory than the P.
Everbearing. The plants are hardi-
er, they make new plants much more
freely, they produce more berries in
one season and the berries average
larger. Of course the Everbearings
furnish berries in the fall which the
Dunlaps do not and the P E. fruit
and blossoms are remarkably frost
resistant, so bearing continues till
frosts become quite hard Several
other varieties are offered by nursey-
men, with boost attached but these
two kinds are still considered best for
their state by the N. d. Horticultur-
al Society. The cu1rants are too
commonly grown to need much COM
ment. They have been grown here
many years and are perfectly hardy
The Perfection is an introduction of
recent years and is considered the
best variety. Gooseberries we are
growing are the HOughton, the Car
RE, and black GOoSeberry selected
from the native ones of southern N.
d. The Carrie has safely withstood
the last four winters. The berries
are large and the bush is very prolif-
ic. The Houghton is an old standard.
The fruit is little smaller and the
yield little less than the Carrie, but
the HOughtOn has a much finer flaw
OF. When ripe it has a mild pleasant
flavor. The N. D. native has berries
little more uneven in size and time
Of ripening than the others and av-
eraging little smaller than the
Houghton. In some ways it excells.
especially in the vigorous upright
growth of the bush and the delicious
flavor of the ripe fruit. This goose
berry is not yet on the market but
probably will be in a year or two.
Gooseberry and currant bushes three
or four years old or more should have
part Of the old wood removed, prefer
ably after the fruit is gathered, each
year. By the time they are ten years
old, 1T is usually better to start new
plants. Fertilize these bushes liber-
ally. Three varieties of Raspberries
have been grown here for a number
OF years. The Red Turner, an old va
rlety, produces good fruit but not
much Of it and the canes quite often
winter kill. The Sunbeam and Ohta.
both produced by Prof. Hansen of
South Dakota, yield berries almost
Identical in size color and flavor. The
canes of both are vigorous and do
not winterkill. The Sunbeam has far
outyielded the Ohta here. Their bear
ing season is identical.
HARDY CHERRIES
Another worthwhile bush fruit is
the Sandcherry or Rocky Mountain
Cherry. This is a native of our N.
w. prairie section. The fruit is near
ly as large as the western cherries.
Fruit is nearly always borne the Sec
ond year after planting and thereaf
ter annually. 1t clings well to the
bush, is black when ripe and hangs
so thick on some branches as to be
suggestive of immense clusters of
grapes. The fruit can be used in a
number Of ways but is especially
toothsome pitted and made into pies.
The bush is absolutely hardy. Chin
csc Bush Cherry (Prunus Tomento-
say has been hardy for two years. It
has not yet fruited. The Moscow
Cherry, a tree, one of Prof. Hansen's
lmportatiOns from Russia. has been
growing here for several years. The
first fruit was produced last summer.
but the hardness of the tree is still
questionable. The Zumbra Cherry is
recent production of the Minnesota
State Fruit Breeding Farm. The bush
resembles the Sandcherry but the
fruit is larger. 1t has borne fruit
for three years but has generally
winterkilled to some extent. The
better known Compass Cherry is a
cross between the Sandcherry and a
plum. The plant should be grown in
bush form. 1t is desirable fruit
and an early bearer. 1t has been
growing here ten years.