BLACKBERRY. '179 



fruit except in this country, consequently we have no su- 

 perior foreign varieties, nor can we find any practical in- 

 formation in regard to their cultivation, in any European 

 work on gardening. The Blackberry has no separate his- 

 tory from that of the Raspberry, as they are both called 

 Brambles in the old works ; and it is evident that it has 

 never been considered worthy of any special care in any 

 country except our own. 



Cultivation, Propagation, &c, The same method of 

 cultivation recommended for the Raspberry is also appli- 

 cable to the Blackberry. In selecting a soil, a rather dry 

 one is preferable to one that is very moist or wet ; neither 

 should the soil be as rich as for the Raspberry, because 

 the varieties generally cultivated are large, coarse growing 

 plants, and if the soil is too rich the canes will grow very 

 /arge and succulent, and will neither be so hardy nor pro- 

 ductive as those of a moderate growth. It is also a good 

 plan to pinch off the terminal shoots the last of August or 

 first of September, to check the growth, and cause the 

 canes to more fully ripen than if allowed to grow undis- 

 turbed. The plants should also be given more room than 

 the Raspberry, as they usually grow more branching and 

 make larger stools. The rows should be at least six feet 

 apart, and eight would be still better for the larger grow- 

 ing kinds. Staking the plants may be dispensed with if 

 they are severely pruned so as to enable them to sustain 

 the fruit. Many cultivators, however, always stake and 

 tie up their plants, or build cheap trellises with posts and 

 wire to which the canes are fastened in the spring at the 

 time of pruning. It would be better to take out the old 

 bearing canes soon after the fruit is gathered, but this 

 would make it necessary to go over the plants twice, while 

 if the old canes can be cut out and the young ones pruned 

 at the same time, considerable labor is saved. One annual 

 pruning is the usual method, choosing the early spring for 

 performing this operation. For taking out the old canes * 



