ROBBING'S FRUIT GROWERS' GUIDE 



95 



The Mammoth Blackberry originated in California, an all-around berry which has held its own as a standard 



with the growers. 



practised. Immediately following the harvesting, all 

 the old canes should be cut off, and the following spring 

 the new ones should be trained to a wire two feet from 

 the ground. The method of trellising is the same as for 

 the other varieties of trailing vines, except that the 

 canes are trained closer to the ground. 



POPULAR VARIETIES 



Gardena, Lucretia. 



CURRANTS AND GOOSEBERRIES 



The district in which either one will grow to advan- 

 tage seems to be confined to the counties surrounding 

 San Francisco bay. It is useless to attempt to grow 

 them in the interior valleys, for the dry, hot air and the 

 bright sunshine causes them to succumb very quickly. 

 They do very well, however, in the mountainous regions 

 in any part of the state at an elevation of from three to 

 five thousand feet. In the districts in which they 

 thrive they are as a rule planted between orchard rows, 

 and if well manured, cultivated and pruned they pro- 

 duce abundantly without irrigation. The only variety 

 which will grow in the interior is the Crandall's black 

 currant. In setting either currants or gooseberries the 

 rows should be six feet apart and the plants set three 

 feet apart in rows. It is not necessary to dwell on the 

 value of the currant nor its uses, for every housewife 

 knows that there is no jelly so highly colored and 

 flavored as that made from the currant. Plants are 

 trained as bushes. They should be pruned every win- 

 ter. This should consist of thinning and the removal 

 of dead wood. If there is an inclination for the plants 

 to grow out of shape, the current season's growth should 

 be shortened in. 



COMMERCIAL VARIETIES OF CURRANTS 



Cherry, Crandall's Black, Fay's Prolific, Perfection, 

 White Grape. 



COMMERCIAL VARIETY OF GOOSEBERRY 



Oregon Champion. 



VEGETABLE AND ESCULENT ROOTS 



The shipping and canning of asparagus has developed 

 into a very important industry in this state. There are 

 few vegetables which are more popular than asparagus. 

 The very fact that it will grow and produce with very 

 little or no care should cause every family to have at 

 least a few plants in their vegetable garden. It becomes 

 tough and quite bitter after it is out of the ground for a 

 few days. To fully appreciate its delicious flavor, 

 asparagus must be eaten the very day that it is cut. 

 There is a difference of opinion as to when it should be 

 cut. That it is more tender just as the tips begin to 

 poke their heads above ground is a fact which must be 

 admitted without much argument . The first and second 

 years after planting it is far better not to cut the stalks 

 but to allow them to grow. The plants should be set 

 three feet apart and the rows should be at least six feet 

 apart. In planting, spread out the roots and plant six 

 inches below the surface of the ground. Asparagus is a 

 gross feeder, and unlike most other plants liberal appli- 

 cations of stable manure and rock salt, well worked into 

 the soil, are very valuable adjuncts to its successful 

 culture. 



THE STANDARD VARIETIES 



Canover's Colossal, Palmetto. 



THE GLOBE ARTICHOKE 



There are two distinct types of artichoke. The one 

 so much prized by epicures and which is so extensively 

 grown in California, particularly in the suburbs of San 

 Francisco, where it produces from early winter and 

 practically through the entire summer, is the Globe 

 artichoke (Cynara Scolymus). It is a gross feeder and 

 must be well manured. In the interior sections of the 

 state its flower buds do not appear until late spring. 

 The plant presents a very tropical appearance and is 

 therefore a valuable addition to any garden. The 

 flower buds should be cut off as soon as they are well 

 formed and before the scales open, otherwise they are 

 tough and tasteless. Never allow the flowers to mature, 



