336 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Berries debtor: To time coiisinned in traveling several nnles to and from the^ 

 berry pateb. 



To dresses ruined by going tliroiigb tlie tbick brnsb in berry patcb. 



To Avct feet and consequent colds, and doctor s bills. 



To ill bunior, caused by excessive fatigue and tramp. 



Yon may fix your own value upon eacb of tlieso items as low as your knowl- 

 edge of tbe true circumstances will allow, and give due credit for tbe fruit 

 obtained, and at tbe end of tbe season, nnless you arc more favorably situated 

 tban most of us, your fruit will be dearly bougbt, saying notbing of tbe inter- 

 est on tbe value of land. Onc-balf an acre planted properly to small fruits 

 may be cultivated and cared for at a cost of not more tban §10 per year, and 

 will yield from 300 to 700 quarts of fruit. Tbis fruit is yours and can be 

 picked after tbe dew is off. Xo wet feet, no torn dresses, no ill bumor, no loss 

 of time going two or tliree miles to the berry patcb. Tbe })ail is full, tbe picker 

 rested, and all goes on smootbly. 



Of tbe cultivation and treatment of most of tbese fruits I will briefly speak. 

 First, let me take up tbat most neglected of fruits, tbe grape. Of tbis fruit, 

 Mr. Tbomas, in tbe American Fruit Culturist, says: 



"Witbin twenty years tbe grape will undoubtedly stand next to tbe apple 

 among fruits. AVitb care, and a proper selection of varieties, tbcy may be 

 placed upon tbe table from summer to spring." 



For myself, wbo am busy most of tbe year witb general farm work, I should 

 plant one-sixtb Hartford Prolific, one-balf Concord, one-sixtb Delaware, and 

 the rest, perhaps, lona, liebccca, and Diana, tbe last for winter use. They 

 may be planted and trained on buildings, fences, etc., but do the best in rows, 

 trained on a trellis, and well cultivated. Plants are usually set eight by eight 

 feet; but I have seen them doing fully as well, per acre, when in rows ten feet 

 apart, and tbe plants twelve feet in the row. The best vineyard I ever saw, 

 was planted twelve by eight feet, and every other one of tbese plants was to be 

 taken out after three or four years. 



For tbe grape a southern exposure is better here, as in those locations they 

 start earlier in the spring, and the fruit ripens up much faster and earlier in 

 tbe fall. The vines do best when laid on the ground during tbe winter. The 

 soil should not be too rich, for they will run too much to vine, and not ripen 

 their fruit. In pruning, tbe great object is to keep them within proper 

 bounds, adapt tbcm^to our trellis, prevent their overbearing, and give the fruit 

 plenty of light. Tbis is secured by having one or two permanent canes con- 

 fined to the lower part of the trellis, from which the bearing shoots are each 

 year allowed to grow. These laterals arc allowed to bear four or five bunches 

 each ; and to stop their excessive growtii, and produce fine fruit, are pinched 

 as soon as they have grown four or five leaves above the upper bunch. As the 

 fruit is i)roduced upon the new wood, the laterals are cut back each fall or 

 spring, leaving only tbe bud nearest the permanent cane. This bud will, tbe 

 next year, grow and bear the grapes. 



STRAAVBERRIES. 



In raising this fruit, the cultivation may be varied somewhat witb tiic kind 

 raised; such kinds as tlie Jucunda, Downing, and Agriculturist, requiring 

 much better cultivation tban tiic Wilson or Kentucky. Of course tbe latter 

 varieties will well repay good cultivation, and a constant trimming of tiie run- 

 ners, but they may be partially neglected, and still give a fair quantity of 



