370 TRANSACTIONS OP THE HORTICULTURAL 



done; and there is not one man in a hundred who does not waste 

 time enough to plant such a garden and keep it in order. 



SMALL FRUITS FOE A FAMILY OF FIVE. 



BY W. C. HAZELTON, FOREST GLEN. 



One would think when he sees the large number of farms des- 

 titute of all signs of small fruit, except perhaps a few scrubby 

 currant bushes, that the owners of these farms looked upon the 

 culture of small fruit as a difficult science — as something beyond 

 them and altogether out of their line : all well enough for hor- 

 ticulturists to attend to, but not worth while to bother them- 

 selves about. 



Could the farmers of Illinois understand that no more skill is re- 

 quired in raising a hill of strawberries than a hill of beans, that 

 raspberries and blackberries can be grown just as easily as corn 

 and potatoes ; it seems as though there would not be such a lack 

 of fruit in their gardens. And I believe our Society can do no 

 better work than to show how easily and cheaply these fruits can 

 be had. In discussing this question of fruit for the farmer's gar- 

 -den (or for anybody's garden), I would not urge too strongly the 

 claims of the different varieties. When a family has once learned 

 that fruit is just as essential on the table as potatoes, the question 

 of variety will take care of itself. 



To any one who desires to supply his family of, say five or six 

 persons, with an abundance of small fruit, I would say go or send 

 to the nearest nursery-man and get 200 strawberry plants ; 150 

 raspberry plants ; half as many blackberry plants ; about the same 

 number of gooseberries; three dozen currant bushes and a couple 

 dozen grape vines. If in doubt as to what varieties will suit you 

 best, let the nursery-man select for you. The chances are he 

 will make a better selection than his customers. But be sure 

 •and send to the nearest reliable nursery-man. Don't send to 

 Canada, or New York, or New Jersey, or any other "foreign" 

 market. I speak from experience. I well remember the plants 

 I ordered, a thousand miles from home at fifty cents each; and 

 the utterly unsatisfactory results. I don't do that way any 

 more. Now I order my plants from a neighboring nursery-man 

 at fifty cents per hundred, and get such as are adapted to my 

 own locality. 



As to cultivation there are no rigid rules to be laid down. 

 Any one who can cultivate ground so as to produce a good crop 

 of corn and potatoes, can successfully grow small fruits. The 

 preparation of the soil is much the same. If a little more care 

 and a little more fertilizing is used so much the better. A plat 

 of ground forty feet wide, and 300 long, will afford ample room 

 and enable one to do most of the work with horse and cultiva- 

 tor. One reason I apprehend why so few raise small fruit is a 



