Photo¬ 
graphs by 
Charles 
Jones, 
Nathan R. 
Craves 
and 
Ella M. Boult 
I FIND in making my rounds of friends who are addicted to 
gardening, that the raising of fruits becomes one of the most 
virulent forms of this gentle vice. Those who have passed seem¬ 
ingly little injured or affected through the various stages of 
vegetable gardening, and have even proved themselves immune 
to such contagious epidemics as the poultry germ, very frequently 
succumb when they are exposed to the small fruit hobby. 
After all, this is hardly to be wondered at—the fruits are the 
aristocracy of the garden, and protest our democracy as we may, 
who would not enthuse more over having produced a dishful of 
luscious, crimson, pungent, odorous strawberries or a bunch of 
sun-ripened purple grapes, bulging with juicy sweetness, than 
over the biggest cabbage or the most odoriferous onion that ever 
grew. Another great thing about berries and fruit is that those 
which one grows in his own garden always are the best. But I 
know a man who will leave perfectly good watermelons in his 
own patch—to go a mile out in the country and pillage the field 
of an old farmer, claiming that he can never grow such melons 
as those. While Jones will go two miles, to get one of this old 
farmer’s melons, however, he will take me out into his own yard 
and make me feel that I have no right to retain my life insurance 
policy by eating a half ripe bunch of grapes or a green pear, 
simply so that he can explain to me how this old farmer who 
also grows pears and grapes doesn’t know the first thing about 
the art. 
That is the fact of the matter, and for several reasons. First 
of all to develop their full flavor they should be ripened just where 
they grow, up to the last minute. Further, berries and small 
fruits are about the least suitable things for shipping of anything 
that grows. They become bruised and squashy, so that you have 
your choice of getting them under-ripe or semi-marmaladed if 
you depend upon the market for your supplies. Furthermore, 
the man who grows for market is looking after a big yield and 
to shipping quality, while if you grow your own you can devote 
yourself to the really important point-quality. 
There are two things of importance that must be taken up 
before giving definite directions as to just what to do now. The 
You can hardly kill a currant bush firmly established, and beautiful 
white or black currants like these are won with little effort 
DELICIOUS STRAWBERRIES, CANE 
FRUITS AND GRAPES ARE EASILY HAD 
-HOW TO PLANT AND GROW THEM 
BY D. R. Edson 
first of these is that there is absolutely no reason why you should 
not grow your own fruits and every reason why you should. 
In the first place the outlay for a stock of plants is very small 
indeed, especially considering the fact that they will not have 
to be replaced for a great many years. Just to show how little 
the cost is, I have made out a sample order as you will see below. 
Secondly they re¬ 
quire very little 
room and will 
thrive on almost 
any soil if well 
cared for. The fact that 
most small fruits will 
stand all sorts of abuse 
and struggle along 
somehow, producing 
a little undersized, 
poor- flavored 
fruit each sea¬ 
son, leads many 
people absolute¬ 
ly to neglect 
them. Your fruits 
should receive just 
(276) 
