£=| SMALL PRUITS AND HOW TO PROW THEM 
Ijucretia. This is now recognized as the 
standard berry. They are often found an 
inch and a half long and an inch through. 
50c per doz., $2.00 per 100 and $12.00 per 1,000. 
LncRETiA Dewberry. 
Austin's Improved is even larger and 
finer than Lucretia. It is large, glossy, 
black and sweet, and so successful that 
it must come into general cultivation. Its 
immense size and productiveness is sure to 
make a great demand for it. Ripens with 
the first raspberries. 7Sc per doz., $3.50 per 
100. 
CURRANTS. 
They grow so easily, fruit so heavily, are 
so hardy and easily cared for that it is 
amazing that every table in the land is not 
abundantly supplied with this cooling and 
delicious summer fruit. The ground should 
be very rich and weeds and grass kept out. 
Cultivate frequently during dry weather to 
conserve moisture. Heavy mulching with 
manure or straw in the garden and small 
patches is good, but I prefer cultivation for 
field plants. 
The Currant Worni appears soon 
after the leaves start, near the ground in a 
cluster. If a weak solution of Paris green 
is sprinkled on the lower center foliage that 
will be the end of them. If they appear 
later dust a little white hellebore while the 
dew is on, or put a teaspoonful in a pailful 
of water and sprinkle with a whisk broom. 
The London Market is by all odds the 
most profitable currant to grow. It sold for 
half more and produced almost double the 
fruit of any other variety. More will be set 
in Michigan this year than any other sort. 
The fruit is large, fire red and clusters fine. 
75c per doz., $5.00 per 100 and $40.00 per 1,000. 
Victoria has long been a favorite. Where 
the currant borer is known to be numerous 
this variety should be planted, the pith 
being so small that the worm cannot 
work in it to do serious injury. Fruit is 
good size, bright red and very productive. 
60c per doz., $4.00 per 100. 
Fay. On very rich heavy land and high 
culture it is fairly productive, and has very 
large berries. It does not sell better nor 
produce half as much as the London Mar- 
ket. $1.00 per doz., $6.00 per 100. 
25 
Cherry. The old standard currant, good 
size, good bunch and very productive. 60c 
per doz. and $4.00 per 100. 
PRUNING. 
The object of pruning is to make plants 
more productive and to extend their time of 
usefulness. If left unrestricted they throw 
their whole energies into this one act of 
multiplying their species by seed bearing. 
While they should be encouraged to bear a 
large crop of fruit they must not be allowed 
to bear an excessive crop and so exhavist 
themselves that they cannot produce another 
large crop for several years, hence we must 
determine their ability and relieve them of 
surplus fruit buds maintaining an equal 
balance between root and branch, preserve 
symmetry and beauty and furnish light and 
free air to all parts of the branches. We 
cannot cut off too much without seriously 
injuring the plant. The balance between 
the amount of roots and limbs must always 
remain equal. The little fine rootlets 
suck up the plant food in the form of water 
with a little mineral matter and pass it up 
through the middle of the stalk by a force 
similar to capillary attraction until it 
reaches the leaves where it is digested and 
assimilated, the leaves performing the same 
office as the stomach and lungs of an ani- 
mal. The digested sap now returns to the 
roots along under the bark where it builds 
up wood cells, enlarging the tree or bush 
and making the year's growth. Now if we 
cut oft" an excessive amount of foliage, the 
roots take up the food and force it to the 
leaves in such quantities that assimilation 
cannot take place and a congested condition 
is brought on and all the effects of a gorged 
stomach of an animal are plainly seen. 
Diiriug: the fall months the bush stores 
up a large amount of plant food in the wood 
for use in the early spring before the ground 
is warm enough for the roots to act. We 
may prove this by heavy mulching when the 
ground is frozen so it will not thaw out until 
very late; the bush will begin to grow in 
the spring before the roots thaw out. The 
