SMALL FRUITS. 



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In the spring the aead wood of both the gooseberries and cnrranta should 

 be cut out, and the new growth should be thinned where there is too much, 

 as it will interfere with the product. The best red currant is the Dutch, and 

 the best gooseberries are Downing's Prolific and Houghton's Seedling. 



Advantages of MolcUing. — The Germantown Tdegraph says: " Al- 

 though wc have suggested many times in the past the great advantage of 

 mulching raspberry and blackberry beds, it cannot be suggested too often. 

 But this mulching should not be done or rather renewed in the season until 

 the heat of the'sun or drought requires it; neither should it be done until 

 after the suckers or new plants show themselves and are of sufficient height 

 not to be injured by the appUcation of the mulch, which, if too thick and 

 apphed too soon, will in a great measure prevent the sprouting, and where 

 it does not will cause the sprouts to bo weak and spindling. Currant bushes 

 also deUght in a moist, cool soil, and mulching pro^-ides this if appUed in 

 sufficient quantity. Anything in the way of weeds, small branches of trees, 

 grass from lawn cuttings, etc., will answer. The mulching of tomato plants, 

 egg plants, etc., will prove very beneficial. We know that some persona 

 have not our faith in mulching, and prefer beds of plants, young trees, etc., 

 to have the soil stirred up about them frequently. This, we are aware, is 

 excellent, but it does not hinder the mulching also. Let the old mulch be 

 removed, the soil well loosened, and then apply fresh mulch." 



Fall Setting of Small Frult*._It is urged that those contemplating 

 setting small fruits should give one tiial at least to fall setting. All that ia 

 necessary is to either back up over the roots ^vith earth, or throw a forkful 

 of litter over each plant, before the ground freezes up, and in the spring haul 

 this away. First, because they get settled in their place, and getting the 

 benefit of early spring rains, start early, and make a full growth next season, 

 while if set next spring, it caimot be done properly until the ground ia set- 

 tled and the heavy spiing rains have ceased. Second, all fruit growers know 

 how pressed they are for time in the spring. Third, raspberries and black- 

 berries have very tender germs that start very early in the spring, and these 

 are likely to be broken off if set then, while if set in the fall, they have not 

 started enough to damage them in transplanting. And fourth, but not least, 

 a much larger proportion of them live when set in the fall — a fact abundant 

 in itself to show the superior merits of fall planting, especially of blackber- 

 ries, raspberries, currants, grapes, and such sorts. 



Red Raspl»err}- — There is no fruit that is in greater demand at such 

 paying prices, and with which the market is so poorly supplied, as the red 

 raspberry, and one reason why the market is so poorly suppUed ia because 

 there has been sent over the country so many tender sorts that have so 

 easily winter killed, but now with such hardy and productive sorts as the 

 Brandywine, Philadelphia, Turner, Highland Hardy, Thwack and Cuthbert, 

 and that succeed so well wherever tried, there ia no excuse for not having 

 this delicious frtiit in abundance. Another reason why they pay so poorly is 

 that they have been allowed to grow helter skeltet all over the ground. If 

 you would have frait in abundance, and of larger size, the suckers must be 

 kept down same as weeds, and the same cultivation that will keep the ground 

 in proper pUght and keep weeds down wlU keep suckers down. 



Kasy Method of Cnltivating Small Fruits. — A writer in the New 

 ynrk Tribune aays: " It ia a source of constant regret with fiinnera that 



