SMALL FRUITS IN THE BED RIVER VALLEY. I25 



SMALL FRUITS IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY. 



O. J. HAGEN, HENDRUM. 



We all know that since the creation nearly all kinds of vegeta- 

 tion have their perpetuation from seeds, and today people know 

 more about this work of nature than they did a century ago. Man 

 has up to this present time been able to look into the secret of nature 

 more fully than ever, but there is still a broad field to study. 

 However many of these secrets are unfolded and made plain to any 

 generation of people, still there is unlocked treasure for the new 

 generation, and it can of course be had more easily for them than 

 for him who had to dig it out by himself and may now unfold this 

 to the younger generation. 



Now the point I am after is : We see a strawberry plant for 

 the first time ; we have but little idea about it and think that like 

 this it will grow and bear fruit wherever it comes from. We 

 shall be greatly disappointed with it. It will not grow, or if it does 

 grow it will not bear fruit as we expected it would. The rea- 

 son why, we cannot imagine. It was loudly praised by the fellow 

 who originated it. We were told it was crossed with this and that 

 known good variety, but he forgot tO' describe what kind of soil it 

 was grown on. Say it was raised on some very heavy soil, and 

 this new variety was sold and planted on poor, sandy land. Be- 

 sides this probably it is an early pistillate variety, and the staminate 

 a very late one ; or we can reverse this point, and the result will be 

 the same. Therefore it is well to have those varieties that blos- 

 som out at the same time to make perfect fertilization. Find out 

 what variety will succeed best on the kind of soil one has, as no 

 variety can be recommended for all 4<inds of soil and locations. 

 For this purpose, as here in the Red River Valley it is particularly 

 necessary, I have tried many recommended sorts but met with 

 constant failure, and this has led me to the conclusion to try many 

 new sorts that have been tried elsewhere and found to be good and 

 in other locations have been condemned. 



All new sorts are raised from seeds, and such plants are usually 

 high priced at first, but within a few years the price generally comes 

 down, and a man that wants to spend a dollar or two each year in 

 trying a dozen or more plants of each, will each year be so much 

 the wiser for the same. If you find them to thrive with you, you 

 can take these young plants next spring and plant more. Should 

 the variety be a strong one. restrict its growth by cutting away 

 some runners so as to leave enough for six or eight plants to each 

 one planted in the spring. By letting it run at its will it will ex- 

 haust itself in making growth and will not develop fruit buds. 



