62 ANNUAL REPOET. 



than with the most savage pruning shears after a year of neglect. 

 Two or three feet is considered a fair average to stop the growth; it 

 will branch out and generally become high enough if stopped at two 

 feet. 



Here it is necessary to protect the plants. Two good men will lay 

 down and cover one thousand hills in a day. Beginning at the end of 

 the row, we dig away a small quantity of soil on the side of the hill 

 with a garden fork, which is less liable to iujure the roots than a spade. 

 We step to the opposite side of the bush, and placing one foot at the 

 crown close to the ground and the fork in the top of the bush, we push 

 lightly with the fork, and with the foot hard enough to bend the roots, 

 not the tops. The other man then throws on the soil, and in less time 

 than it takes to write this the bush is nicely secured and covered 

 ready for a long, cold, changeable winter. When spring comes, take 

 a four-tined fork, loosen the crust, and placing your fork under the 

 plant, carefully raise it up and press the soil back firmly. After the 

 row is all taken up, string your wires at once if possible, and your 

 plants are protected from the winds. 



There is much more which could be said on this subject, but I will 

 leave it with you. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Harris. Mr. President, I met Mr. Hamilton last winter at the 

 meeting of the Wisconsin Horticultural Societ}', and we had quite a 

 long discussion on the subject of growing blackberries and he gave 

 me a number of good points. I am begining to be of his opinion, 

 that the Ancient Briton is the best. I have been growing the Sn5'der 

 because I believed it to be more hardy, but it is more difficult to pro- 

 tect, the canes are stronger and it has more lateral roots. Mr. Hamil- 

 ton recommends covering the blackberry caaes by digging down to 

 the lateral roots and bending the canes over to the ground and put- 

 ting earth on them. On account of sickness last fall I did not pro- 

 tect mine in that way. I have the Snyder, Ancient Briton and Stone's 

 Hardy. The Ancient Briton blossomed the most, Stone's Hardy the 

 next, and Snyder about one cane on a quarter of an acre; Ancient 

 Briton was full as hardy as any of them. 



Mr. Pearce. Did you cover with earth? 



Mr. Harris. Mr. Hamilton covers with earth; Mr. Lord also does 

 the same. They put the protection on very loosly that they cover 

 the canes with; the main thing is to hold them down to the ground; 



