THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 67 



and berry vines. Plow Lawton Blackberries twice the first year and four 

 times every season after that, cross-plowing each time and follow the 

 plow with a harrow, cross-harrowing each time also. 



Loganberries and Mammoth Blackberries can only be plowed one 

 way after the second year, on account of the wire trellises being in the 

 way, and these must be plowed at least two times each season, and 

 follow the plow each time with a harrow ; in addition to this they should 

 be cultivated several times, say once after each plowing. 



The hoe must be brought into use after the first plowing and the 

 work completed before the ground packs and dries up around the plant. 



"While great care is required in cultivating berry vines, as great a 

 care is required in harvesting the crop and there are many important 

 rules to be observed in this line. 



In Sonoma County the harvest season for Loganberries commences 

 about June first and lasts from five to six weeks. The Mammoth Black- 

 berry season commences about June fifteenth and finishes about July 

 twentieth. The season for the Lawton Blackberry lasts about two 

 months, generally from July first until September first. All this of 

 course depends a great deal upon climatic conditions as berries are 

 earlier some seasons than others, especially when there is an early, warm 

 spring. 



The handling of berries for market is a delicate and particular 

 process. They must be picked at the proper time and kept in a cool, 

 shady place, and if possible hauled off to market before the hottest 

 part of the day. 



In hauling them, wagons with springs must be used, and driving fast, 

 especially on rough roads, avoided. Keep the fruit covered up with a 

 canvas to avoid the dust. In loading and unloading be careful not to 

 jolt or jar the crates and cases or to turn them up on one end. This 

 is something that needs to be watched closely by the field superintendent 

 and warehouse foreman. 



MARKETING. 



Before closing I will say a few words in regard to our marketing 

 facilities, which nowadays are much better than they were years ago. 

 At that time the growers had to depend solely upon the canners to 

 use their entire output, receiving prices that hardly justified growing 

 the product. 



Today our berries are handled through a Berry Growers' Association 

 which has been in operation for five years, and during that time new 

 Eastern markets as well as old ones have been developed, making more 

 distributing channels in which to dispose of the crop. 



A large portion of the berries are shipped East in iced cars as far as 

 Chicago, and other distant points, being quite often from five to six 

 days on the way. The result is that good profits are obtained for 

 them in return. 



In order to obtain all these advantages careful attention must be 

 paid to proper cultivation, pruning, harvesting, and all the other 

 details that must be carried out right. 



Through the cooperation each grower pays the association a small 

 percentage for selling his crop and the returns are prorated later in 

 the season according to the price received for berries through the season, 



2—15527 



