SMALL FRUITS 91 



evaporated, or to^be marketed as dried raspberries, may be either hand 

 picked or harvested with a mechanical contrivance called a "bat." This 

 consists of a frame of light lumber a few inches deep backed up by strong 

 cloth against which the ripe fruit strikes as it is jarred from the bushes by 

 tapping them gently with a light stick or "bat," while the cloth-covered 

 frame is held under the plants in such a position as to catch the fruits as 

 they fall. Such fruits, after drying, are run through a fanning mill to sepa- 

 rate leaves and stems, after which they are hand picked in much the same 

 manner as beans, to remove all imperfect and green fruits, as well as those 

 which still hold the receptacle. 



THE BLACKBERRY 



The blackberry in the United States is a native bramble of wide distri- 

 bution over the eastern and northern part of the country. The fruit of the 

 wild blackberry was an important factor in the supply of condiments 

 provided by the early settlers. The esteem in which this fruit was held 

 led to the cultivation of some of the wild plants producing berries of supe- 

 rior size or flavor, or those ripening in advance of the main crop, or such as 

 lagged behind and thus extended the season for the fresh fruit. Such 

 selections from the wild blackberries and their seedlings furnish the culti- 

 vated sorts of today. What may yet appear is suggested by some of the 

 remarkable hybrids which have already been produced in this genus such 

 as the Logan berry. The chief considerations in the selection of a location 

 for a blackberry plantation are the facilities for harvesting and marketing 

 the crop and the moisture condition of the soil. The fruit of the blackberry 

 is highly perishable and will not endure rough handling in harvesting or 

 long journeys over rough roads. 



Few crops are more adversely affected by a lack of adequate moisture 

 during the period of development and ripening than the blackberry, but 

 an excess of moisture during the dormant period is equally as detrimental. 



Soil. The blackberry is not exacting as regards the general type 

 of soil and will do fairly well on a clay, clay loam or sandy loam. The 

 largest yields are on deep, rich soils which provide an extensive feeding 

 area for the roots of the plants. 



The preparation for blackberries should be such as to provide a 

 deep, mellow root area and the best possible protection against rank 

 growths of annual weeds. A hoe crop such as corn, beans or potatoes, 

 if properly tended, leaves the area in the best possible condition for the 

 small fruits. 



While the roots of the blackberry are perennial, the canes or branches 

 are practically biennial. The shoots spring up and grow one season from 

 the fruiting canes of the following season, after which they die and should 

 be removed to make room for the new growth of the following year. The 

 fruit is borne only on wood of last season's growth in the standard high 

 bush blackberries and dewberries, but the Himalaya and ever-bearing 



