408 CALIFORNIA FRUITS I HOW TO GROW THEM 



Bearing Age and Longevity. If blackberry plants are well 

 treated the first year after planting out, there will be considerable fruit 

 the following summer. How long the plants will bear satisfactorily 

 depends, also, on situation and treatment. Sometimes the plants fail 

 early; even with good, generous treatment in good soil, the old stool 

 becomes weak, the shoots are thin, and the fruit small. Some count 

 about eight years as the profitable age of the plant, and then cut out 

 plants and give the land a change. Of course berry growers prepare 

 for this by frequently making new plantations. 



Irrigating Blackberries. Though a good part of the blackberry 

 crop is grown in regions of heavy rainfall without irrigation, the use 

 of water is sometimes very profitable. Mr. T. B. Cannon, near Los 

 Angeles, works in this way : 



Mr. ^ Cannon aims to get Crandall blackberries from June 15 to November, 

 which is possible by his system of irrigation and pruning. So the water is 

 applied in winter and about every ten days until the berries are as big as peas, 

 cultivating between times. The rows are eight feet apart and the plants four, 

 so that one-horse cultivation is possible until the fruit gets so heavy as to bend 

 over into the onen space. When ripening time begins in June, a ditch is dug 

 close to the vines on each side of the row, for irrigation. This gets water 

 pretty well where it is needed, the ditches are out of the way of the cultivator 

 after the first crop is off, and they are shaded so as to avoid evaporation in the 

 hot summer. Water is applied every four or five days during the heavy picking, 

 then every ten days till the main summer crop comes on, when it is applied 

 twice as often again. Irrigation when the berries are turning black makes them 

 larger and of better color. While the juice might thus be considered diluted, 

 this is the sort of berry people buy, and the proportion of juice to seeds is what 

 makes a desirable market berry, when markets are near by. Such practice might 

 make undesirable fruit for canning or shipping. 



Varieties of the Blackberry. Comparatively few kinds are 

 largely grown. The Wilson Junior, Lawton, and Kittatinny were for- 

 merly the prevailing kinds, ripening in the order named. The Erie is 

 favored by some as a middle season variety. The Early Harvest has 

 been favorably reported by a number of growers. These have, however, 

 been largely superseded by a renamed variety, Crandall's Early, which 

 is the earliest of the improved varieties, and has a very long fruiting 

 season. The fruit was named after Dr. J. R. Crandall, of Auburn, who 

 first fruited the variety from plants given him by a stranger hailing 

 from Texas, and the proper name of the variety is probably Texas 

 Early. It is a strong, vigorous, hardy plant, very productive, of firm, 

 handsome berries; resembles Lawton in canes, leaves, and flavor of 

 fruit ; not given to sprouting from running roots. 



Another variety which has advanced in favor is the Oregon Ever- 

 green, introduced from Oregon but not native nor originated in that 

 State. The late John Rock described it as follows : "Origin unknown ; 

 beautiful ; cut-leaved foliage, which it retains during the winter ; berries 

 large, black, sweet, rich, and delicious. It continues to ripen from July 

 to November, which makes it one of the best berries for family use." 

 It loses size and quality notably on scant moisture. 



Some effort has been made to secure improved varieties of our 

 native blackberry, and a most striking result has been secured by Judge 

 J. H. Logan, of Santa Cruz, by crossing the wild berry with Crandall's 



