THE BLACKBERRIES 



necessary and worked into the soil or used as 

 a mulch. Manure also builds up the organic 

 matter in the soil and makes it more retentive 

 of moisture. Where manure is not available 

 a balanced commercial fertilizer of 4-8-4 grade 

 or better is effective. If the land is known to 

 be deficient in nitrogen or phosphoric acid or 

 potash, the material needed may be applied 

 separately, but otherwise it is safest to use a 

 complete fertilizer. 



Garden soils which have been heavily ma- 

 nured for years are sometimes too fertile for 

 best results. Too much nitrogen in particular 

 is to be avoided, for it tends to encourage cane 

 growth at the expense of the crop. Heavy 

 applications of poultry manure are dangerous. 

 More plants suffer from starvation than from 

 overfeeding, however, and aside from highly 

 fertile garden soils a growth too rank for good 

 results is not common. 



Pests 



The blackberry is remarkably free from in- 

 sect pests. A leaf miner occasionally attacks 

 the leaves in the estern states and in Canada, 

 but usually does little damage. Tree crickets 

 sometimes lay eggs in the smaller canes, weak- 

 ening them somewhat, but this damage usually 



83 



