466 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



chelle Blackberry — called also the Lawton. We 

 recommended the plant as one worthy of general 

 cultivation, and our endorsement and remarks have 

 been extensively cojned by the press of this coun- 

 try, and by some Eurojaean journals, and a very 

 general interest has been awakened. An evidence 

 of this is found in the circumstance that, dm-ing this 

 month, more than a hundred horticulturists and 

 others, from Boston, New York, Pliiladelphia, and 

 the cities and towns between these places, as well 

 as from Concord, Albany, Newburg, Utica, Syracuse, 

 and Rochester, have \isited the grounds of Messrs. 

 Geo. Seymour & Co., of South Norwalk, Conn., in 

 response to their invitation for "all interested to 

 come and see the })lant gro^\ing and beaiing, and 

 taste the quality of the fruit." 



These gentlemen have, we believe, the largest 

 area in tlie country (some five or six acres) devoted 

 to the cultivation of the genuine variety of this 

 plant. A part of this ground they use for raising 

 young plants, and a part was left to fruit this year 

 for the purpose of shelving it in bearing while in 

 field culture. All who have examined the fruit 

 have been surprised and delighted with the large 

 size of the berry, its deliciousness, and especially its 

 productiveness. We visited this plot on Thursday 

 of last week, and from what we saw there, as well 

 as at other times during the past yeai", we are ready 

 to endorse all we stated a year ago. 



The plants especially devoted to fruiting were 

 set out two years ago — eight feet apart each way — 

 upon a rather poor, worn-out, hill-side soil, with no 

 other previous preparation than plowing and an or- 

 dinary coat of barn-yard manure. The only culti- 

 vation since has been keeping down the weeds, and 

 the application of about 400 lbs. per acre of Peru- 

 nan guano, which was sown broadcast last spring 

 and worked in with a cultivator where the plants 

 were not spread out so much as to preclude the use 

 of this implement. The ground is now so thickly 

 covered with loaded vines and young shoots that it 

 is difficult to go over it. 



Since the beginning of the month visitors have 

 had free access to about one-fourth of an acre, and 

 though hundreds of quarts have been eaten or car- 

 ried away, the whole vines on this plot seemed to 

 be loaded with berries. Two canes in each hill 

 were allowed to fruit. We counted the berries on 

 some of the average-bearing canes or single stalks, 

 and found from 500 to 1,000 ripe or growing ber- 

 ries on each. 



The size of the fruit can hardly be appreciated by 

 those who have seen only the common varieties of 

 blackberry. Of about the average size, 30 to 40 

 l)erries filled a pint basket ; while of those a little 

 above the medium, 20 to 25 berries did the same. 

 An mch to an inch and a half may be set down as 

 the average diameter, though larger berries are 

 quite common. 



There are two remarkable things about this vari- 

 ety, viz : its few seeds and its richness of flavor, not- 

 withstanding its large size ; and its steady bearing, 

 for we learn that it has not failed to yield an abun- 

 dance of fruit every year since its cultivation, now 

 a dozen years or more. 



It api^ears quite hardy, as it sustained very little 

 injury in the open field during the past severe win- 

 ter. We noticed the tops of a few of last year's 

 canes were slightly nipped by frost. 



It grows well even ujjon poor soil. We should 

 advise a moderately dry loam, but some cultivators 



recommend even a heavv clay as best. It has 

 been thought that blackl:)erries need shade; but 

 those cultivated by Seymoiu" & Co. are upon an 

 open lot, and we found the best and richest berries 

 upon the to]3 of the vines, where most exposed to 

 the sun. However, the fullest clusters of the lar- 

 gest fruit, though not the sweetest, were ])artly sha- 

 ded by the leaves. Mulching, or covering the soil 

 with straw, leaves, salt hay, or some such substance, 

 is doubtless good treatment for this, as for all simi- 

 lar plants. We should advise the selection of at 

 least a moderately good soil, deep plowing or spa- 

 ding, with a coating of barn-}ard manure or guano. 

 When first set out they should be placed at about 

 their natural depth, say 3 inches, in rows 6 to 10 

 feet apart, and the stems be cut down to witliin six 

 inches of the ground. 



They may be set out in November or April, in 

 this latitude ; at the South, in March. Probably 

 November planting is preferable. If planted in au- 

 tumn, it is better to cover them up till spring with 

 straw or litter. 



We have spoken thus freely of this fruit, because 

 we esteem it a valuable acqiusition, and we desire to 

 see it distributed so extensively that it may soon be- 

 come abundant in every market. It now sells read- 

 ily in New York for 25 to 20 cents ];er quart, while 

 we do not see why it may not be raised, with a fair 

 profit, at 5 or 6 cents a quart. Once planted, it re- 

 quires no more labor to cultivate it than the same 

 area of corn, since the chief care required is to keep 

 down the weeds and an excessive growth of young 

 shoots : though all of thes% that can be raised for 

 some time to come will probably be in demand at 

 fair prices. The limited supply, and the high pri- 

 ces heretofore asked, has been a bar to its general 

 introduction ; but several jiersons have a large num- 

 ber of gro\ving ^ines wiiich will be readji for sale 

 the coming autumn, and we learn that the price is 

 being considerably reduced. 



A word of caution is necessary in reference to se- 

 curing genuuie plants, carefully ])acked : for unprin- 

 cipled and irresponsible peddlers and speculators 

 will in this case — as in that of fruit trees — attempt 

 to palm off anything in the shape of a blackberrj- 

 vine, as the genuine Nevv-Ro chelle. If carefully 

 ],acked, they may be carried safely to a considera- 

 ble distance, provided always, that in taking up or 

 setting out, the roots are never left exposed to wind 

 and sun. 



J''or the New England Farmer. 



TO MAKE BARREN GTJIHCE TREES 

 FRUITEUL. 



My Dear Sir: — The complaint of your corres- 

 pondent, C. G. W., in the Farmer of Aug. 11, of 

 the sterility of his quince trees, after a full bloom- 

 ing, is by no means an uncommon one. I have 

 never been troubled with it, and have therefore had 

 no jjersonal experience in the matter, but have been 

 credil)ly informed by those Avho have, that remov- 

 ing the earth from the princijjal branches of the 

 roots, and puncturing through the bark with a fork, 

 (common table fork,) or any sharp instrument, has 

 proved efficacious in preventing a recurrence of the 

 blight wiiich settles ujjon the blossom, and prevents 

 bearing. These punctm-es, as I understand it, must 

 be so thick as to well scarify the bark, which, from 

 their smallness, will soon heal over, and should be 

 given after the fall of the leaf m autumn, or in early 



