12 SMALL FRUIT CTJLTURIST. 



plied at the proper time, is far more essential with the 

 small fruits than with the larger ones. An apple or p'ear 

 tree will struggle long, and often successfully, against 

 weeds, drouth, or an unsuitable soil, while a Raspberry or 

 Strawberry plant would perish in a week under similar 

 circumstances. There is probably nothing appertaining 

 to the cultivation of the soil which will, if properly con- 

 ducted, yield more pleasure or profit than the culture of 

 our best varieties of small fruits. Still it must not be ex- 

 pected that there are no difficulties in the way, for there 

 will sometimes be early and late frosts; wet and dry sea- 

 sons ; cold winters and hot summers, and insects that will 

 destroy more rapidly than nature can restore ; therefore 

 no one should attempt the culture of any kind of fruit, 

 unless he has courage and perseverance sufficient to meet 

 and overcome all the obstacles he may find in the road to 

 success. To the inexperienced cultivator these difficulties 

 may appear very formidable, yet they are no greater than 

 in any other branch of business, and far less than in many. 

 The small fruits, as a class, are less liable to be affected by 

 disease or insects than a majority of the larger kinds, 

 and as many of them, like the Raspberry and Blackberry, 

 bloom late in the season and perfect their fruit early, they 

 are seldom injured- by the late spring frosts, which are 

 often so very destructive to the Peach, Apple, and other 

 early bloomers. 



To guard against great losses it is best not to risk one's 

 entire capital in any one kind, for if that should fail, it 

 would be ruinous. Neither is it advisable to cultivate too 

 great a variety, for capital, needlessly scattered, is not 

 readily gathered. The aim of the cultivator should be : 

 1st To provide against total failure. 2d Cultivate no 

 more of any one kind than he can properly attend to, both 

 in cultivating and in gathering the fruit. 3d Provide 

 for a succession of crops, so that there shall be an uninter- 

 rupted income, in preference to a large and fluctuating 



