298 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



BLACKBERRIES. 



Next in the succession of fruit is the blackberry, which should be 

 treated much like the black raspberry. The old canes should be taken 

 out after fruiting each summer and in the spring all but six of the 

 new canes should be removed. As size is very important in market- 

 ing this fruit, the remaining canes should be well pruned back to pro- 

 duce large fruit. During the summer the growing canes should be 

 kept cut back to about three feet in height to produce stout, low- 

 branching plants. The crop was generally very good this year. 



Bloicers. Fruited for the first time this year. A thrifty grower,, 

 quite hardy and with a spreading habit. The berries are roundish, me- 

 dium in size, and acid in flavor. Moderately productive. Season medium 

 to late. 



Early Harvest. Compact, upright grower. Does not sucker much. 

 Berry of medium size and fair appearance. Only moderately hardy, but 

 quite productive. Not quite as early as Early King but its season is 

 longer. Its earliness is its only attractive feature. 



Early King. The earliest blackberry on trial. The fruit is of good 

 size until the end of the picking, when it gets small. Moderately 

 productive. A little hardier than Early Harvest. The canes are only 

 moderate growers, with light colored foliage. Does well as an early 

 variety. 



Eldorado. A very hardy and thrifty variety. The fruit is of a 

 very good size and quality and has a handsome appearance. General- 

 ly quite productive, altho it bore rather lightly this year. It should 

 be grown to take the place of Snyder. Medium early, ripening just 

 before Snyder. 



Erie. A midseason berry of very good quality. The fruit is very 

 large and attractive but somewhat soft in texture. Quite hardy. Not 

 productiA-e enough for commercial purposes but very good for home 

 use. 



Mersereau. A moderate growing, hardj', spreading variety. The 

 fruit is of medium size and attractive, with a hard core. Flavor 

 mild, acid and pleasant. Its season is rather short but it makes a 

 very good late variety. Productive. 



Rathhiin. The last two years has shown this to be the very best berry 

 on trial. The fruit is large and very much like Wilson in size, form and 

 quality.- Its season is also about the same. It is a very thrifty 

 grower and very productive. It is hardy and does not need laying 

 down in this climate as the Wilson does. By far the best blackberry in 

 our patch and well worthy of taking the place of the Wilson. 



Ohmer. A very large, late variety of good quality and appearance. 

 The bush is quite thrifty. If it were not shy in bearing, it would make 

 an ideal late variety. 



Snyder. A well-known, very hardy variety. The canes are very 

 vigorous and very productive. The fruit is small, but of good qual- 

 ity. On account of its size it should not be grown except where other 

 varieties are too tender. 



Ward. A thrifty grower and very hardy and productive. The 

 fruit is large and of handsome appearance. Firm enough for ship- 

 ping, but has no core to speak of. The flavor is slightly more acid 



