STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 13 



Fifth, Pruning — When blackberries and black raspberries 

 are knee high I pinch the top, when laterals are about 1 foot 

 long, I pinch them again, I only pinch once on Gregg. 



Strong growing canes of reds I cut back hip high. To keep 

 plantation healthy, keep all suckers cut off with hoe or cultivator. 

 I think it best to remove old wood soon after berries are off, 

 it makes nicer work, is easier to keep clean, though I confess I 

 do not always do it, leaving it till later. 



In trimming in the spring I clip off all tips of blackberries 

 being careful not to leave too much wood on. 



Black Raspberries, when they begin to bend to the ground, cut 

 off. 



Reds, I find to cut off one third, and the rankest, about hip 

 high to be about right. 



Sixth, Mulching — must be done with care. I like to mulch after 

 the fall cultivating, leaving it undisturbed till spring, when it is 

 all worked up among the canes. Some prefer to mulch about 

 blossoming time. I have, with good success. I use for this pur- 

 pose horse-stable manure where plenty of straw is used. Old 

 straw or cornstalks make excellent material. 



Seventh, Marketing — Ours is a home market. Only now and 

 then when we are sure of a surplus do we ship, and then to small 

 towns beyond us. We pick every day but Sunday, deliver to our 

 customers direct from wagons or through our home grocers, taking 

 orders for crates days ahead, thus having control of our large 

 pickings in our own hands, to a great extent. With our [tickers 

 we use the card and punch, writing name of berry on card and 

 file away for final count. We pay for blackberries 1 cent, for 

 black raspberries, 1£ cents, and red raspberries 2 cents per quart. 



Eighth, In closing, I would state, my berries are all grown on 

 clay sub-soil with natural drainage, sloping mostly to the north. 

 I don't think I could grow berries successfully on my farm 

 without mulching. If any of our friends have had a different ex- 

 perience I would like to hear from them. 



Submitted for your consideration. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Thomas, Lagrange, Mo.— I have grown the Snyder suc- 

 cessfully for five or six years. Get the ground in good shape and 

 plant about as you would potatoes. Cut the roots to about four 

 inches in length and lay off the rows about ten feet apart, with 

 cross rows three feet. Plant two plants in a hill. This year I 

 had 100 bushels to the acre, this being the third year. The Law- 

 ton would not do with us at all, it is too tender and subject to 

 rust. The Taylor is pretty good after a mild winter, but they are 



