192 SMALL FRUITS. 



picking the fruit. I have seen some fine planta- 

 tions of this kind that produced large quantities of 

 fruit. One patch is now in my mind, near Wisner, 

 Nebraska, consisting of about three-fourths of an 

 acre, that has not for years made a failure, except 

 from drouth causes. They are grown in an old 

 cottonwood grove; the trees are very large but not 

 very close. The entire patch is a bramble, the old 

 dead canes are not even cut out, but they make a 

 growth yearly of 8 to 10 feet in height and are very 

 productive. These are the Snyders ; but there is in 

 the same grove a smaller patch of Kittitinnies that 

 only bears at rare intervals. 



This mode of growing is only a makeshift, but 

 is much better than nothing, and many are so 

 situated that they will follow this plan and almost 

 get something for nothing. The better way is 

 to devote proper time and space to them, and 

 make a success. If near a market they will always 

 be in demand at good prices, and will be found to be 

 a much more profitable crop than wheat or corn. 

 If not near a market we have found that among the 

 neighbors there has always been a good market for 

 any surplus fruit. 



Select a piece of good land, not the black muck 

 of the river bottoms, but a rich clayey loam. Plow 

 deeply, aud put it in the best condition. The 

 ground may be laid off with a corn marker and 

 the plants set only in each alternate row. This 

 will make them something like 4x8 feet apart. If 

 practicable let the rows run north and south. 



