310 FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



SMALL FRUITS. 



Well do I remember my boyhood days in old Susquehanna county, Penn- 

 sylvania, how the meadows would be red with the tempting strawberries, 

 tempting to our young eyes, and to our taste irresistable. But they were 

 forbidden fruit to us, for fear that we would tangle the grass. How many 

 a Sunday, while our parents were at church, have we'Young Americans stolen 

 along the fences until we could find a hole low enough down for us to 

 get through without being seen, where the grass would hide us by our keep- 

 ing ourselves close to the ground. We would crawl around, leaving the grass 

 flat, and there we would pick and eat the beautiful berries, happy as kings, 

 until we had our fill, or until our mouths would get so sore from the sour 

 berries that we could eat no longer, and then we would steal our way back 

 again. 



Every farmer can have strawberries and other small fruits for home con- 

 sumption, but when it comes to growing for market, and depending on the 

 profits for a living, very few will make it a success in the end. 



The wise man is content to begin on a small scale. He learns from his 

 neighbors who have had experience, what kinds are best suited to his locality, 

 prepares his land thoroughly, plants carefully and cultivates well. He 

 doesn't run after every novelty, but sticks to what he knows to be good, and 

 before he knows it he grows into a large and profitable business, while oth- 

 ers around him who thought they knew everything worth learaing, spread 

 their eagle to its utmost and went it blind, planting every new thing that 

 oame along, only to tear it out and throw it into the fence corners, have 

 failed completely. 



One of the causes of my friend 's success, was that he didn't allow himself to be 

 humbugged by the plant and tree agent ; he wanted none of their impossi- 

 bilities. If he wanted something that he was unacquainted with he went 

 to headquarters, and bought of those who had a reputation to sustain. I 

 presume that most of my farmer friends have met with this agent of impossi- 

 bilities, hence it is not necessary to describe him. 



And now, Mr. Chairman, I will give a short list of the berries that I have 

 cultivated in Center Plains township : 



Of blackberries I have found but one that will stand the winters on the 

 plains, the Agawam. It is a very good berry, of medium size. The Snyder 

 kills half way to the ground. The Taylor and Western Triumph, with 

 several others, kill to the ground. I once got a few Kittatinnies, By taking 

 boards in November and putting them against; the canes and bearing them to 

 the ground, leaving them to snow under with the boards on them, I wintered 

 them safely, but they are not adapted to this climate. 



Black Caps. — The Mammoth Cluster and Doolittle are perfectly hardy and 

 good bearers. The Golden Cap is hardy, a good berry and a very good bearer. 

 Gregg and Miami can't stand it — they kill — but in the timber I think they 

 would be all right. 



Of currants the red and white Dutch and red Cherry currants do well and 

 bear well. The black currant is perfectly hardy and a great bearer. I have 

 Fay's Prolific, perfectly hardy, but it has not come into bearing. 



Of gooseberries I have but one kind, the Houghton, iron-clad and very 

 prolific. 



The Concord grape-vine, if laid on the ground, will go through all right, 

 but they are too late for this locality. 



