276 



POPULAR FRUIT GROWING. 



find a place in the home garden, and it could often be cultivated 

 for the near market at a profit. 



Propagation and cultivation. — The plants are readily in- 

 creased from suckers, which are produced rather sparingly 



around the old plants 

 unless they are cut 

 back. These should be 

 set out at about four- 

 foot intervals in rows 

 five feet apart, on rich 

 upland. They com- 

 mence to bear in two 

 years, but will not pro- 

 duce a full crop until 

 the fourth year. They 

 need clean cultivation, 

 and in dry situations 

 should be mulched to 

 protect from drouth. 

 They require but little 

 pruning, though the 

 suckers should be thin- 

 ned out if they become 

 abundant. 



Varieties. — T here 

 are but few varieties of this fruit offered by nursery- 

 men, and these are the result of selections made 

 from plants growing In the wild state. They are, however, 

 much superior in size of fruit and in productiveness to the 

 plants commonly found in the fields, although these latter are 

 greatly improved by cultivation. It is very probable that by 

 growing seedlings, new varieties much superior to those now 

 known will be originated. The kinds now grown require several 

 weeks in which to ripen their fruit. The only variety of importance 

 is known as Success and probably originated in Kansas. It is pro- 

 ductive of large purple fruit of good quality; rather spreading 

 in habit, with pendulous fruit clusters; earlier than the others 



Fig. 123. 



-Dwarf .Tuneberry. Flow- 

 ers. 



