138 



THE OA.NADIAN HOETICULTDRI8T- 



hand, but out where you have plenty 

 of room to do most of the work with 

 horse and cultivator. There is no other 

 crop on the farm that will pay as well 

 as a good collection of strawberries, rasp- 

 berries, currants, blackberries, goose- 

 berries and gi'apes, if they receive 

 reasonable care. There are many places 

 where it would pay well for farmers 

 to go into small fruit growing for mar- 

 ket. Every neighborhood should have 

 at least one person engaged in small 

 fruit growing for market ; but to be 

 successful, those engaged in it for profit 

 must have 



A LIKING FOR THB BUSINESS, 



and be willing to work, not only with 

 their hands, but with their brains. 

 There are many farmers that have 

 small farms, with perhaps two or three 

 sons, for whom they would like to buy 

 more land, but do not find it an easy 

 matter to do so, as land is high in price 

 in all good localities, and times are dull. 

 If such farmers would go into small 

 fruit growing they would not require 

 more land, and would find it more pro- 

 fitable, that is, if gone into intelligently. 

 Some will say, " The supply will soon 

 be greater than the demand." Why 

 not be afraid to grow wheat for the 

 same reason 1 There is not the slightest 

 doubt but that it will pay as long as 

 people continue to have a taste for 

 fruit. 



THE PAST SEASON WAS A FAVORABLE ONE 



for strawberries, and the supply was 

 equal to the demand in most parts of 

 the country, especially in large towns 

 and cities. Small country places and 

 farmers in many places did not get a 

 full supply even last year, when the 

 largest crop was gathered that has ever 

 been grown in this country. I sold five 

 hundred bushels from five acres, grown 

 with just good ordinary field culture. 

 After deducting expenses for picking, 

 boxes, marketing, etc., they give a net 

 return of 



FULLY ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER ACRE. 



The supply did not equal one-half the 

 demand for raspberries, currants, goose- 

 berries, and blackberries, and is not 

 likely to fully equal the demand for 

 many years. . 



At the present time I think it is 

 very doubtful if there is any other line 

 of our great agricultural industries of 

 Ontario that will give a greater return 

 for the outlay required than small fruit 

 growing. Do not for one moment sup- 

 pose that you can go right into the 

 business on a large scale and make a 

 fortune in two or three years without 

 any knowledge of the business. The 

 only sure way to succeed is to begin on 

 a small scale, and as you gain practical 

 knowledge of varieties, manner of cul- 

 tivation, marketing, etc., you can en- 

 large your plantations and do so intel- 

 ligently. There is great competition in 

 all branches of trade, but those who are 

 not afraid to work, both with their 

 hands and brains, need not fear com- 

 petition. 



ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS 



in growing small fruits for market is to 

 try always to have them put up in 

 nice packages and well filled with good 

 fruit, and always sell the fruit for just 

 what it is — never put the large berries 

 on top of the box and the small ones 

 in the bottom. Another very impor- 

 tant matter is to plant well-tested varie- 

 ties, and plant some of all the small 

 fruits — strawberries, raspberries, goose- 

 berries, currants, blackberries, and 

 grapes. Plant several kinds of each, 

 so that you can extend your supply of 

 fruit over as long a period as possible, 

 which gives you a greater length of 

 time in which to market. You can 

 also market at a much cheaper rate, as 

 you do not require so many boxes, 

 crates, etc.; you also have time to do 

 more of the work yourself, thus re- 

 ducing expenses. Having a regular 



