CHAPTER XIII 



THE FRUIT GARDEN 



How may fruits be raised in a small garden ? 



Fruits have not been grown in small yards as generally as 

 have vegetables because the latter mature in a single season, 

 while the former require one or more years to mature after 

 first being set out. On the other hand, fruits have the ad- 

 vantage that they bear for years and do not need to be 

 started anew from seeds each season. They form such a 

 valuable portion of our diet that it is well worth while to 

 raise them at home so that they may be obtained fresher and 

 at less cost than when purchased in the market. 



Kinds of fruits. The fruits grown in northeastern United 

 States are divided by the fruit grower into the following 

 classes : the tree fruits, such as the apple, pear, peach, plum, 

 and cherry ; the small fruits, such as strawberries ; the 

 bush fruits, such as blackberry, raspberry, currant, and 

 gooseberry ; the vine fruits, such as the grape. 



Plants to select. In deciding on the kinds to plant, one 

 needs to take into account the following considerations : 

 the size of the yard, the size of the mature plant, the number 

 of years before the plant begins to bear, and the month in 

 which the fruits are ripe. Some fruits may be grown in 

 even the smallest yards. Grapevines require very little 

 space, as they may be trained on fences, porches, or build- 

 ings, if there is not room for a separate grape arbor. Straw- 

 berries also require little space and are well adapted to 



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