SMALL FRUITS AND HOW HE GROWS THEM 
How this can be prevented. — Start the cul- 
tivator early in the spring while the subsoil is full 
of water to prevent evaporation. Cultivate every 
week and always after every rain. When berry 
icking commences the ground is tramped down 
ard making capillary action perfect so water 
draws up through the firm surface soil very fast, 
causing berries to dry up as well as stopping the 
^owth of the plant. This is the reason why it is 
important to cultivate the same day after every 
picking. 
Cut out the old wood as soon as the picking 
is over and then about the first of August sow as 
much as four bushels of oats to the acre and culti- 
vate in. TVe amount of oats recommended is not 
excessive because they make so rapid growth they 
will not stool up and we want a heavy mat to make 
a mulch which will shade the ground and send its 
roots down appropriating the plant food and 
moisture so the bushes do not get it and this checks 
growth and causes them to ripen the wood slowly 
and when w-inter comes all the canes will be firm 
and solid and will pass the winter like a scrub oak. 
The oats will make a large growth and 
remain green until hard freezing comes when they 
will kill down but continue to shade the ground 
and prevent soil wa.shing by winter rains, and in 
the spring be sufficiently rotted to cultivate in and 
add largely to the humus of the surface soil which 
prevents the particles from settling together and 
forming a crust, thus aiding very greatly in getting 
the desired early spring growth. The more humus 
there is in the soil the easier it is to conserve 
moisture. 
Nothing pays so well in raspberry and black- 
berry growing as this process of cultivation. It 
keeps the berries large, juicy and delicious until 
the last one is picked. All the berries will then 
grow to their full size and a bountiful harvest is 
secured every year. All the growth you get before 
the first of August is a benefit; all you get after 
that is lost, and all the wood made after the first of 
September is killed by slight freezing. Always let 
the cultivator go at a uniform depth of three inches 
so the roots can come near the surface to get air 
and still not be broken and mutilated by the cul- 
tivator. 
CURRANTS. 
Price Ust on Page 34. 
Currants are so easily grown, fruit .so heavily, 
are so hardy and easily cared for tliat it is amazing 
that every table in the land is not abundantly sup- 
plied with this cooling and delicious fruit. The 
fround should be made very rich and the weeds 
ept out by frequent shallow cultivation. Heavy 
mulching will answer in small gardens but for the 
field give thorough tillage. 
Prepare the ground as for raspberries and 
blackberries and set plants in rows six feet apart 
and four feet apart in the row, making check rows 
so you can cultivate both ways. Keep well pruned 
by cutting out old wood and shortening m new 
wood. Do not allow them to overbear and you 
will secure immense crops every year. 
The Currant Worm 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 last of them. 
If they appear later, dust a little white hellebore 
while the dew is on, or put a teaspoonful in a pail 
of water and sprinkle with a whi.sk broom. 
The I/ondon market is by all odds the most 
profitable currant to gr(}w. It sells for half more 
and produces 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. 
Victoria has long been a favorite. Where the currant 
borer is known to be numerous this variety should be plant- 
ed, the pith being so small that the worm cannot work in it 
to do serious injury. Fruit is good iize, bright rt^i and very 
productive. 
Pay. 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 Market. 
Cherry. The old standard currant, good size, good 
bunch and very productive. 
Pamona. A nice large, early red current which is 
making many friends by reason of vigor of bush and super- 
ior quality 01 fruit, and is sweeter than other varieties. 
THE GOOSEBERRY 
Is now attracting much attention and proving one of the 
most popular herries grown. The demand is increasing 
very much faster than the supply. Their general cultiva- 
tion is similar to that of currents, and insects are disposed 
of in the same way. 
For picking use a thick pair of buckskin gloves and 
strip the fruit off by handfuls, run through a fanning mill, 
or pour them on a blanket so that the wind will blow the 
leaves out. Its quick work. Keep the bush pruned rather 
closely, and top of bush open. They do better with heavy 
mulch. 
Stnitli's Improved is a large pale yellow berry of 
great beauty and surprisingly productive. It is making 
many friends. 
The Downing isthemost popular berry for market, 
large, even, fine grained, and makes a fine large bush. 
Houghton IS enormously productive and very free 
from mildew. Berries are not quite so large as Downing, 
but in some markets sell better. 
Red Jacket. A comparatively new but now well 
tested variety of much merit. Resists mildew, large berries, 
very hardy and good. 
The object of pruning is to make plants more produc- 
tive aud to extend their time of usefulness. If left uure- 
stricted 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 ex- 
haust themselves that they cannot produce another large 
crop for several years, hence we must determine their 
ability and relieve them of suplus fruit buds, maintaining 
an equal balance between root and branch, preserve sym- 
metry and beauty and f\irnish light and free air to all 
parts of the brauches. With these suggestions theengrav- 
iug will show how the work should be doue. 
THE VINEYARD. 
Of all tlie fruit that grows there is noue more beautiful 
and tempting than the grape, with its great rich clusters 
hidden away iu the cool shade of its dehse foliage. They 
are so easy to grow aud afford so much plea.sure for the 
labor expended, that a business man. mechanic or farmer 
who should deny his family or hired help an abundance of 
this lucious fruit comes close to the border of cruelty. A 
few vines, a very little care, aud the eujoymeiit is yours. 
VARIETIES OF GRAPES, 
There are too many varieties that are not especially 
valuable. We describe a few of those we regard as the 
cream of the list. 
31 
