Prize Fruits on a One-Acre Homestead 
HOW A BOSTON AMATEUR GARDENER CARRIES OFF PRIZES FOR FRUITS—THE 
DETAILS OF HIS INTENSIVE METHODS OF GARDENING—HOW TO RAISE 
PRIZE CURRANTS, GRAPES, GOOSEBERRIES, APPLES, PEARS AND PLUMS 
by F. C. Babcock 
T HERE is a one-acre lot in Atlantic, Mass., which, in the hands 
of its owner. Dr. Walter Gardner Kendall, yields such 
remarkable returns that it seems but fair that his methods and 
results should be detailed for the help of other amateur gardeners. 
Dr. Kendall is well known locally as a successful huntsman, 
dog fancier and home gardener. In the latter capacity he con¬ 
tributes to the weekly exhibits of the Massachusetts Horticultural 
Society in Horticultural Hall, Boston, and has been a persistent 
winner of the prizes offered. Every year his large and handsome 
gooseberries and currants secure first prizbs. It is particularly 
interesting and instructive, therefore, to find out just how he does 
it. Dr. Kendall gives special thought and care to these fruits, 
subjecting the bushes first to careful pruning and thinning out of 
dead wood, followed by deep digging about the roots, and a gene¬ 
rous mulching with stable litter. The worm which attacks so 
savagely both currants and gooseberries, is hunted diligently. 
It yields always to frequent applications of hellebore mixed with 
flour, which is best put on the bushes on wet or damp days. One 
of the modern insecticides has also proven entirely efficacious in 
ridding the bushes of these pests. The doctor’s favorite currant 
is the Wilder; his choice of the gooseberries is the Bates. This 
superior gooseberry was developed from a chance seedling found 
on the premises of Mr. Bates of Hingham, Mass., who recognized 
a promising healthy plant, and by cultivation developed this 
Twelve-year-old gooseberry bushes are kept pruned down to three feet in height. This fruit has taken first prize at the 
annual show of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for the last five years 
seedling to fulfil all his expectations. He produced just what 
fruit-growers wanted in the gooseberry—large, light-colored, 
smooth, thin-skinned fruit, sweet and of fine flavor. The Massa¬ 
chusetts Horticultural Society voted Mr. Bates a valuable medal 
as a recognition of his success, and as a benefactor to fruit¬ 
growers. Dr. Kendall has removed all of his old gooseberry bushes 
in favor of the Bates seedling. 
Dr. Kendall’s favorite fertilizer for the small fruits is raw 
ground bone-meal, mixed with wood-ashes. Sometimes, to attain 
quick results, he uses a preparation of nitrate of soda, made into 
a weak solution and applied to the roots. 
Of the larger fruits, such as apple, pear, peach and plum trees. 
Dr. Kendall has made a careful study, and they respond finelv to 
the low trimming and heading which is his rule in pruning. “ Trim 
as low as possible,” he says. The apple he ranks highest is the 
McIntosh, for which he predicts a leadership in quality and quan¬ 
tity. As an insecticide Dr. Kendall has a method of his own, and 
gathers, by the bushel almost, “the miller that makes the worm 
that eats the apple.” On each apple tree he hangs by a string 
or wire a glass jar or wide-necked bottle. In this is put a prep¬ 
aration of molasses and water, half and half. The millers are 
tempted by the sweet liquid, drink themselves to death, and 
remain in sticky masses, which are removed and burned. 
Dr. Kendall confines his efforts in pear culture to the varieties 
known as Bartlett, 
Seckle, Dana Hovey 
and Bose. His per¬ 
sonal choice is Wor¬ 
den’s Seckle, as it has 
all the good qualities 
of the ordinary Seckle, 
but is larger and finer 
in many ways. 
It is, however, in 
grape culture that Dr. 
Kendall shows the 
greatest individuality 
of treatment. When 
the vine is in the blos¬ 
som it is watched with 
sleepless eyes for rose 
bugs. These pests he 
combats successfully 
by steady hand-picking 
and immediate burn¬ 
ing. As soon as the 
grapes form so as to 
show the probable 
shape of the bunch, 
the whole vine is gone 
over carefully, and two- 
thirds of the green 
fruit cut off. Dr. Ken¬ 
dall argues here, as 
with other fruits, “ Bet¬ 
ter one bushel of the 
very best than ten 
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