Small Fruits 
for Every Garden 
Photographs by the author and Nathan R. Graves 
HOW ONE MAY HAVE FRUIT IN THE GARDEN FROM 
MAY UNTIL OCTOBER-WHAT VARIETIES TO PLANT 
AND HOW TO PLANT AND CULTIVATE THEM 
Strawberries from 
one’s own gar- 
d e n make 
mouths water 
as no other 
fruit will. Cli¬ 
max, Fairfield 
and Virginia 
are among the 
best early vari¬ 
eties 
r ~pHERE ought to 
be no country 
home, no suburban 
residence without a 
small space allotted 
to grow berries and 
other fruit. By 
planning judiciously, 
fruit of all kinds, 
sufficient for a fam¬ 
ily of six or eight, 
can be grown in a 
space of the size of 
an average back 
yard and enjoyed, 
freshly gathered 
from your own gar¬ 
den from spring until autumn. The work requires less care 
than vegetable growing, and when the plants are once started the 
culture is simple and the harvest fascinating. 
Select your plot, possibly the rear of the lot, near the fence, 
adjoining the vegetable garden, or any suitable ground you can 
spare. The end of March or beginning of April is the ideal time 
to plant the fruit garden. Broadcast the ground with well rotted 
manure, so that every part of it is covered with a three to four- 
inch layer. Spread evenly over this ten pounds of muriate of 
potash and twenty-five pounds of ground bone (procurable at any 
seed store) to every square of twenty-five feet. Now spade the 
ground by hand deeply, turning the manure and fertilizer under. 
When this is done, rake the soil fine with a steel rake, so it pul¬ 
verizes well, then the ground is prepared to receive the berry 
plants or trees, no matter how poor the soil was. Beforesettingout, 
soak the roots of plants or trees for an hour in a vessel containing 
liquid poultry manure. A small shovelful of droppings to a pail 
full of water, well stirred, will do the trick. Earlier sprouting 
will reward you. 
Raspberries and blackberries are climbers and delight in up¬ 
right growth. Plant about six plants each, three feet from the 
fence, allowing four feet between the plants in the row. Use 
yearlings. Dig a hole of sufficient size, mix bottom well with 
rotted manure, place roots evenly distributed in the hole, cover 
with fine soil and press firmly around plant, then water liberally. 
One of the best varieties of red raspberries is the King. In black¬ 
berries, Rathbun ranks as having the largest berry and is the best 
yielder. In order to get large fine berries, they must have sun. 
Avoid the old idea of bush formation, which will shade all except 
toppers. Let two or three shoots on each side of the plant grow, 
tie the growing shoots to the fence, adding small posts to the 
latter, and cross-wire their tops at a height of six feet. Pull up all 
other shoots, letting the strength of sap concentrate in the 
selected canes. After they have fruited, cut them off and repeat 
with new shoots. This is called by some the "new” culture, 
though it has been practiced by the writer for a decade. 
Three feet away, but parallel with the above fruits, plant early 
strawberries. They will ripen first, and will be out of the way 
before the raspberries and blackberries are gathered. Plant 
strawberries in rows, fifteen inches apart each way, so that all 
three will be within a strip forty-five inches in width. This is 
termed a matted bed, and gives a large yield in a small space. A 
row fifty feet long will require 150 plants, fully enough for family 
use. In planting strawberries take a garden line and mark out 
the rows. Then with a pointed stick make holes one inch wide 
and about three inches deep, fill these up with water, and place 
a root in each hole; then press firmly around the plant, in order 
to let the air out, being careful not to bury the heart. Strawberries 
set out this way will live. Water the young plants for a week in 
the late afternoon. Never let the ground get dry or hard. Hoe 
often to keep weeds out and the soil loose. Strawberries like shade 
and water. Among the good early varieties recommended are 
Climax, Fairfield and Virginia. 
In order to supply some shade, plant gooseberries and currants 
next to the strawberries, about four feet away from the outside 
row of matted bed. Here use two-year-old plants and set them 
out four feet apart in the row. The mode of planting them is 
similar to that for raspberries. About four currant bushes, 
and as many gooseberries, will fully supply the family table 
demand. If you like red currants use Fay’s Prolific. In white 
varieties, White Grape is one of the best; while Eloughton is one 
of the best table gooseberries as well as one of the best varieties 
for preserving—a factor that must not be left out of consideration. 
Gooseberries like these may be grown in every garden 
(i44) 
