THE BLACKBERRIES 



start, and it will take a year longer to grow 

 canes enough for the first real crop. When 

 planting is done as soon as the soil can be 

 worked in spring the plants become established 

 early and have a long growing season the first 

 year. 



The first consideration is the development 

 of full rows of fruiting canes. The blackberry 

 plantation will fruit in the second summer, but 

 if the first year's growth was poor and the 

 rows have many gaps, it is sometimes best 

 to cut off the fruiting canes in spring and allow 

 all the strength of the root system to go to 

 the production of new plants rather than a 

 crop too small to be worth much. If some 

 of the nursery plants failed to grow, sucker 

 plants from vigorous growers may be trans- 

 planted into the blank spaces at the beginning 

 of the second year. 



Setting the Plants 



Plants may be set and set well in a number 

 of ways, and nearly every gardener or fruit 

 grower has a favorite method of his own. 

 Earth should be brought into close contact 

 with the roots and thorough preparation of 

 the soil will do much to make planting easy 

 and rapid. Where only a few plants are to be 



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