110 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



bowed up their hocks to keep their bellies from getting scratched ; they were known 

 as the " three rowed breed," and sun-fish breed. It is said the first got its name from 

 the fact that they could run their snouts through the cracks of the fence and eat so 

 far as the third row of corn, conveniently ; these two breeds of swine when in a crude 

 state must have overheard the remark, "side ways to war like a hog," and concluded 

 that if side was to tell, they were "on it," and they got so well " on it" that they 

 have never been seen since, except they were " broadside to." Persons wishing to 

 make a further study in this branch of natural history, would do well to apply to any 

 of the older inhabitants of South Pass in this State. But to return to my theme, the 

 Blackberry. We, of the Western States have had this fruit so plentiful from our tim- 

 ber lands until within a few years, that we have paid but little attention to its cultiva- 

 tion as a garden or market fruit, nor did we appreciate its value until we weredeprived 

 of it. Unfortunately for us and the rest of mankind, the culture of the blackberry for 

 market commenced in New Jersey, a state where they manure their land for rye and 

 white beans; of course, their land being that poor, they cannot raise blackberries with- 

 out manuring it ; so all of their best cultivators recommend manure and plenty of it, 

 when making a plantation of blackberries, they being successful of course ; and all the 

 world patterns after them, without a thought whether the soil on which they are to 

 plant is poor enough to need manure or not. I have made the blackberry and its pro- 

 per cultivation, one of my especial studies for a number of years, and I have formed 

 some queer opinions, compared with those of others who have written on its cultivation. 

 In uo case have I seen manures beneficial in its cultivation — always detrimental. In 

 all our efforts to reduce to cultivation and to acclimate any of our indigenous fruits 

 from forest or plain, we have got to either copy as near as possible after nature's man- 

 ner of fruiting them, or get some particular varieties that can be adapted by these 

 artificial means of pruning, training, and shelter or protection in winter or summer to 

 open field culture. It is useless to expect the wild plum or the peach to be as healthy 

 and productive with its roots under the closely netted June grass sod, with its matted 

 surface and surface feeding roots, as they were when their roots run amongst the roots 

 of our original timber-land grass, with deep running and feeding roots; and with the 

 surface of the ground protected by its plume-like tufts, from sudden radication of heat 

 and evaporation of moisture. Yet how many ask the reason why they do not do so 

 well as formerly ? because the Willow thrives admirably in the swamp is no reason 

 that the Oak should. We can do a great deal by artificial means, but we must bend a 

 little toward old Nature's requirements to make success a certainty. Many persons 

 look upon blackberries as all alike, all blackberries only one variety ; while the fact is, 

 there are endless distinct varieties ; we cannot find two " patches " alike in the woods 

 in all qualities. Besides we have at least three, and I should say four distinct species 

 growing together almost all over our State, and no doubt many natural hybrids have 

 been produced. My observations may be summed up as follows : 



First. Every variety of blackberry indigenous to a certain section of county is per- 

 fectly hardy in that same section, when growing in its normal condition ; that is, if it 

 has the proper amount of shade or sun, of shelter or no shelter, that its constitution 

 requires, and soil exactly adapted to its health. 



Second. There is no blackberry, be it indigenous or not, healthy and hardy under all 

 circumstances. 



Third. A blackberry that has been known to give regular and abundant crops in the 



