MIDDLETOIVN INSTITUTE 139 



"The Growing of Small Fruits for Home and Market" 

 was treated by President J. H. Hale. 



He said that since recent very low prices prevailed, 

 market growers do not want to hear very much about small 

 fruits, but, for home use they should be grown more exten- 

 sively. Many farmers, who are not in the fruit-growing 

 business, thought the family supply of fruit too small a mat- 

 ter to bother with, — they would buy all the family needed. 

 " It was cheaper to buy than to raise such a small amount ; " 

 but the)^ never did buy all the fruit the family wanted, and 

 they never would : the only way was to grow it. The best 

 market is the family need. 



Berries could be grown so that the family would have a 

 full supply for two or three months and also all they wanted 

 to can for the winter. The family not only enjoyed this, 

 but it was a healthful source of food supply. 



President Hale thought that the old fenced garden idea 

 should be done away with, and long strips of good open 

 land planted, — land that could be cultivated with horse- 

 power instead of the hand-hoe. If a farmer did not have 

 time to go into the very best methods of culture and the 

 choicest varieties, he could at least have a full supply of 

 many of the most hardy varieties — even with quite indiffer- 

 ent culture. 



Stable manure, he said, was a good fertilizer, but not 

 quite well balanced enough. Commercial fertilizers rich in 

 potash were better. Wood ashes was also good for fruits, 

 but, in any case, give thorough cultivation, which would take 

 the place of much fertilizer. The women were mostly re- 

 sponsible for all good family gardens. The speaker then 

 gave a list of varieties of small fruits most suitable for a 

 family supply, in Connecticut, as follows : 



Strawberries. — Clyde, Haverland, Pride of Cumberland 

 and Gandy. 



Raspberries. — Among blackcaps. Palmer, Kansas, Cum- 

 berland ; among reds, Columbian, Loudon, Cuthbert. Plant 

 Golden Queen for a good yellow sort. 



Blackberries. — Snyder, Eldorado, Lucretia. 



Currants. — Wilder, Fay, Victoria. 



Gooseberries. — Smith, Downing, Columbus. 



