THE BLACKBERRY 131 



thin soil, if water is available for irrigation, large crops 

 may often be produced, or this result, a soil-cover, may 

 sometimes be obtained by heavy mulching. The danger 

 from mulching is that the roots are brought to the 

 surface of the ground and the mulch must be kept up 

 all of the time, or when it decays, or if it is removed 

 and the land cultivated, the surface roots will be de- 

 stroyed. 



Planting — The best time for planting is in the 

 fall, but the plants may be set with success in the spring 

 if it is done early. If it is necessary to delay planting 

 until late in the spring, a plantation may be made by 

 taking up the new soft suckers, putting them into a 

 pail of water as they are dug and setting them Avithout 

 exposure to the sun and air. The soft ends of the canes 

 should be cut off before they are dug. This method 

 may be practiced at any time during the summer when- 

 ever young shoots can be obtained, and is a very con- 

 venient way to fill out a newly planted field. The 

 distance of planting varies greatly with different 

 growers, ranging from 4x6 to 6x8 feet. Two methods 

 are practiced, the Hill system and the Row system. 

 The advantages of the former are that most of the work 

 of cultivation can be done by the horse, and the fruit 

 may be more easily gathered than in the close row. 

 With the row system the soil is more covered, and more 

 shaded, a thing that must be provided to get the best 

 results, especially in dry weather, and the fruit will be 

 larger, as the largest and best fruit is always found 

 under the shade of masses of foliage. 



Cultivation — There are few crops that may be so 

 easily grown, if the work be done at the proper time, 

 as the blackberry, and few also that if neglected require 

 so much care to put into condition again. All suckers 

 not needed to fill out the rows or hills must be treated 

 as weeds and the ground be kept light and loose at all 



