SMALL FRUITS. 243 



BLACKBERRIES WEST OF THE BIG WOODS. 



BY M. CUTLER, SUMTER 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen : 



If there is anything that will make a western emigrant's mouth water, 

 and made him think of the days of "auld lang syne," it is the sight of a 

 nice dish of fresh blackberries, sprinkled with white sugar. As 1 attempt 

 to fix my thoughts on the subject of this paper, memory carries me back 

 to childhood's days, when such a thing as a cultivated blackberry was 

 unknown, and few wild ones obtainable. But what a change twenty-five 

 years have made. To-day the most popular brand of canned goods in the 

 St. Paul market comes from that same county. I refer to the Batavia, 

 Genesee Co., N. Y. brand. So I believe nearly as great a change can be 

 made in fruit growing in Minnesota. The blackberry is a native of this 

 state and no doubt ere the foot of the white man trod its soil, when the 

 fawn bounded over its hills and drank at its limpid streams, the wild 

 savage regaled himself with this delicious fruit. 



With the knowledge I have obtained as to its cultivation and manage- 

 ment and with the experience I have had, I am fully convinced it can be 

 successfully grown in any part of Minnesota where corn will ripen. 



I have about one-half acre in bearing and obtained seven hundred 

 quarts the past season with no cultivation but covering for winter, mulch- 

 ing and mowing out the suckers. The crop would have been larger had 

 not the mice girdled many canes last winter, caused.by my covering with 

 hay instead of dirt. 



Several farmers on the prairie told me their bushes were well loaded 

 without winter protection, but last winter was very mild and is not a 

 safe precedent to follow. Good plants of the best kinds can be obtained 

 of nurserymen for three dollars per hundred. Snyder for early, Ancient 

 Briton and Taylor's Prolific for late, do well with me. If I wished to 

 enlarge my plantation I would try the Lawton, as I believe with winter 

 protection it would succeed here. 



Plow furrows eight feet apart and five or six inches deep. Set the 

 plants four feet apart in the row. Early spring I consider the best time 

 to set them. 



Cultivate about the same as corn, keeping the ground as level as possi- 

 ble. Cultivation should cease by the first of August. About the first of 

 November the canes should be laid down and covered. To do this take a 

 five or six tined fork and loosen the ground around the roots, place the 

 tines about two feet from the ground against the bush and the foot against 

 the roots of the bush and gently push it over to the ground, then have an 

 attendant throw on dirt until covered. It is quickly done, and they are 

 safe from the snow and frost. 



I think six days labor will cover an acre. As soon as the frost is out of 

 the ground, remove the dirt from the bushes, and raise them to their 

 original position. Set stakes two or three rods apart, and string about 

 number twelve wire each side of the row, fastening it to the stakes about 

 two feet from the ground. 



Old bushes should be removed before covering in the fall. 



I have never known of a serious case of cholera infantum or other sum- 

 mer complaint where children had free access to plenty of fresh, well 



