150 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. John Doolittle : Speaking of blackberries, I have a small 

 patch of half an acre, and last year I sold from it $228 worth, and 

 two years ago I sold $212 worth, and all I did was to tip them 

 over and cover them with hay. I covered them with straw, but 

 the wind uncovered them, so I think it is better to cover them with 

 hay. 



Mr. C. W. Merritt : If you take a shovel and dig a hole 

 alongside of the blackberry vine, and then take a four tined fork 

 and bend the vine so it will bend in the root, three men can 'cover 

 an acre of berries in a day, and they should be so thoroughly 

 covered that you can drive over them with a disc harrow. 



Mr. H. J. Baldwin : It seems to me Mr. Grimes ought to re- 

 verse his row of blackberries, or he will have his eyes scratched 

 out. (Laughter.) I find I can cover them quicker by just tip- 

 ping them over, and I have never had any trouble with winter- 

 killing, or any trouble with mice, rabbits or anything of that kind. 

 I find, too, when I tip them over in the latter part of October, when 

 there is a good deal of sap left' in the wood, there will be prac- 

 tically no loss at all from broken canes. I believe I can cover 

 them quicker with earth than I could haul straw or anything of 

 that kind. In tipping them over I would not think of using a 

 shovel or loosening the root, because you cut off a lot of tap 

 roots, but I take a spading fork and throw out the dirt that is 

 necessary and then push the plant over with the fork, and when I 

 tip it over I have an iron two feet long with two prongs, so it 

 will spread ten or twelve inches, and I just put that over the vines 

 to hold them down while I put on the dirt. One man can go right 

 along with that method and put down a lot in a day. When I put 

 mine down I do not think of breaking more than one or two canes. 

 I cover them up with dire and never lose them at all. 



Mr. C. E. Older: I want to say just a word in regard to a point 

 mentioned by Mr. Grimes, and that is in regard to the boy in the 

 apple orchard. I planted Yellow Sweets next to the highway. 

 One of my neighbors says, "It is no fun stealing from Older, he 

 doesn't care anything about it." This year it kept a man busy 

 selling to boys that came along with a dime or a quarter, and we 

 sold them right from the tree. I never had any trouble with boys 

 stealing apples or plums or anything of that kind, but ladies are 

 twice as bad as the boys. (Great laughter.) 



The Chairman : I am surprised at Mr. Older. I had a better 

 opinion of him. (Laughter.) 



Mr. J. O. Weld : I find that is true in my garden at Lake 

 Minnetonka. The worst people I have to contend with are the 

 ladies that come along the road. (Laughter.) I would like to ask 

 Mr. Grimes a question. He spoke of his plants winter-killing. 

 I want to ask him whether he set out new plants or let them come 

 up from the roots. 



Mr. Grimes : I let them come up from the roots. 



Mr. Elliot: A blackberry patch set out and properly main- 

 tained is good for ten vears at least. 



