112 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



should be gone over and all shoots shortened hack to within a foot of the main stem ; 

 this is quickly done with a sharp corn knife. 



The next spring- as soon as the soil is in good condition they should be thoroughly 

 plowed, and the side shoots and leader shortened in one half; thereafter they should 

 have shallow clean cultivation until the fruit is ripe. Treating all suckers as foul weeds, 

 except those in the rows. As soon as the young shoots have reached two feet, they should 

 be cut back six inches, and then as soon as the laterals have reached 18 inches, they 

 should be cut back six inches ; as soon as the fruit is ripe, plow again deep and close to 

 the row, this will break off and destroy most of what have been aptly termed the 

 " spike " roots, the ones that throw up most of the suckers. Give good cultivation un- 

 til the end of the season. It would probably pay to shorten in again, a month later. 

 The next season's cultivation would be the same, except a little more length might be 

 allowed to the canes. Every writer that has come under my observation, recommend 

 emphatically, as if success entirely depended on it, to "cut out the old canes as soon as 

 the fruit is off." I say do not do it, if you cannot get yourself scratched in any other 

 way, and must have it clone, hire some good able bodied Scotchman to do it for you, he, 

 from long experience, can do it comfortably. Just let them alone, they can do no hurt 

 and will do you good, by helping to support the young canes, sheltering them in winter 

 and spring, and eventually decaying and returning to the soil the exact food your plants 

 need. This manner of planting and management will be found to suit the constitution 

 and habits of the Kittatinny and Missouri Mammoth, throughout Central and Northern 

 Illinois, and to the Wilson's Early and Lawton, in regions where they are hardy. 



Other varieties, will be found hardy and productive, under a system of treatment 

 adapted to their natural habitat and constitutions, that might never perfect a berry 

 when treated as above. Some need only the noonday sun cut off from them by a friendly 

 tree, to give most i)erfect results. But I find more of our native varieties will stand the 

 open field culture, outlined above, than I had thought ; some will do splendidly if kept 

 thoroughly pinched back and dwarfed throughout the season, that fail entirely if not 

 dwarfed. Some appear to do well only after they have become quite thick in the row, 

 others do best in hills. I believe the Lawton if thoroughly and completely dwarfed by 

 pinching in, would be found hardy in Central Illinois, on high dry soils, enough so, as to 

 give four crops in five years. 



VARIETIES. 



We have three distinct species of the blackberry family in Illinois, popularly known 

 as the high and low bush and the Dewberry, with endless varieties of each species, and 

 probably natural hybrids between each and all the species, in fact, they are so mixed up, 

 he would be a clever botanist that could tell from what stock many of our varieties have 



sprung. 



KITTATINNY. 



This splendid variety has been so widely disseminated within the last few years, that 

 its name at least is familiar to all Horticulturists, and has proven so hardy, productive 

 and fine in quality, that it may well be put at the head of the list. Wherever it has been 

 given a half a chance it has given full satisfaction. But hardy as it is, it must have re- 

 spectable treatment ; those who plant it in their fence corners and let them and the blue 

 grass " fight it out on that line " will be remunerated according to their pains. I believe 



