SMALL FRUITS. 



Under this head we treat of blackberries, currants, 

 gooseberries and raspberries. Strawberries are 

 treated separately. All these small fruits are com- 

 monly grown in the garden, generally under such 

 conditions that systematic tillage is not practicable. 

 For this reason such plant food essentials as may 

 exist naturally in the soil become available to the 

 uses of the plants very slowly. This is as true of 

 the decomposition of animal or vegetable ammoni- 

 ates as of phosphates and potashes. Consequently, 

 small fruits in the garden suffer from lack of suffi- 

 cient plant food. All these plants when planted in 

 gardens are usually set in rows four feet apart, the 

 plants about three feet apart in the rows ; about 4,200 

 plants to an acre. In field culture, blackberries are 

 usually set four feet apart each way. 



So far as possible, small fruits should be cultivated 

 in the early spring, and all dead canes removed. 

 Work into the soil along the rows 300 pounds of acid 

 phosphate and 50 pounds of sulphate of potash if 

 obtainable; when the plants are in full leaf, broad- 

 cast along the rows 300 pounds of Nitrate of Soda, 

 and work in with a rake. If at any time before 

 August the vines show a tendency to drop leaves, or 

 stop growing, apply more Nitrate. Small fruits 

 must have a steady, even growth; in most cases un- 

 satisfactory results can be directly traced to irregu- 

 lar feeding of the plants. In field culture, the crop 

 must be tilled quite the same as for corn; in the gar- 



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