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THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



13 



ralnable lacqaisition to oar list ol small 

 fruits. It is unquestionably a new variety; 

 and the fruit shows its superior " breeding " 

 among other yarieties, just like a sleek Dur- 

 ham among a lot of scrub cattle, by its lar- 

 ger size and rounder form, and the juiciness 

 of its flesh. 



The past severe winter killed the canes of 

 nearly all Blackberries, nearly down to the 

 ground; bat the New Rochelle produced a 

 few fine berries from shoots sent up from 

 near the roots. The white Blackberry is the 

 hardiest variety that I cultivate, producing 

 sooae fruit this season on the main branches 

 — but it is too small to be of mud value, 

 except as a cariosity. My patch of natives, 

 over an acre, in a somewhat sheltered local- 

 ity, produced a few blossoms but no fruit. 

 The New Jersey variety was the most in- 

 jured, being killed quite down to the ground. 



All my plants have grown well this sea- 

 son, and the dry fall has ripened the oanes 

 perfectly, so that I confidently expect a fine 

 crop of fruit next season. 



I would advise all who have a garden, to 

 plant a row or two of Blackberries, (as well 

 faf raspberries.) If you can spare the mo- 

 ney, bny hfllf a dozen ir 2iore roots of the 

 New Rochelle; but if not, take up so.ue of 

 the best rook yon can find in tae woods, and 

 cJv-vate them hom"! iheotiiers btcO'ne ohs'ap 

 an*^! plenty. Iti in>4k:ng a selection of the 

 wild ones, the stronj? growins- ki.ids produce 

 the largest and best fiuit. Any tMue will 

 answer for transplanting, from the time when 

 the leaves fall in October, till the buds be- 

 gin to open in the spring. Tiie best soil is a 

 rich, deep, moist loam, but it must not be 

 too wet, and good cultivation is required. 



The strong growing kiuis, as the New 

 Rochelle, i plant in rows six feet apart, and 

 four feet apart in the rows; and this distance 

 is not too great for any of the varieties. 

 The plants must be thinned out each year 

 as they mu'tiply, and pruned twice a year. 



In pruning the New Rochelle, when the 

 plants have attained the height of six or 

 eight feet, cut off the tops, which will force 

 out lateral branches, from near the ground 

 upwards; in the fall, these branches should 

 be shortened in, so as to give the bushes a 

 compact form. Cut away the surplus shoots, 

 and dig out the small plants, (which should 

 have been cut down to about one foot in 

 height at the August pruning.) for making 

 new plantations. The weaker growing va- 

 rieties do not need as severe pruning as the 

 others, but they must be shortened some, and 

 the bhoots thinned. 



Mulching the roots of Blackberries with 



leaves from the woods, aboat the 1st of May, 

 when there is a prospect of a crop of fruit, 

 will be found of great advantage. fWhere 

 leaves cannot readily be found, tan bark or 

 saw dust will answer.) Cultivators should 

 remember that this fruit ripens in oar hottest 

 weather, and when there is liability of a se- 

 vere drought, hence a little extra labor in 

 mulching may greatly increase the amount 

 of fruit, and prolong the season of ripening. 



-••^ 



Native Grapes. 



Hovey's Magazine of Horticulture for 

 November, thus notic«s two varieties of our 

 native grapes: 



Thb Delaware GIrape. — This new grape, 

 which has attracted considerable attention, 

 and which we gave a full account of in a 

 late number, has fruited in the garden of B. 

 A. Brackett, of Winchester, Mass. The 

 grapes were fully mature September 15th, 

 thus proving it to be as early as the Con- 

 cord. It promises to become a popular va- 

 riety, anil particularly adapted to our New 

 England climate, being entirely ha'dy. 



The Carter Grape. — This is the same 

 which is given to a new variety cultivated 

 in Milfoi-d, Mass., and recently shown at 

 the auDual exiiibitioii oi tne Massachusetts 

 HoriicuUura! So-iety. It is a very fine grape, 

 earlier than the Isabella, and superior to it 

 in every quality. The berries are round, of 

 large size, and of a deep reddish color, ap- 

 proaching to black at full maturity. What 

 its origiU is we do not know, but if it can be 

 traced we shall give a full account of it at 

 another time. <:, 



-«► 



Trees Received Frozen. ; 



Packages of trees, sent lr>Tig distances late 

 in autumn, and arriving frozen in winter, are 

 often needlessly sacrificed by the want of a 

 little knowledge and attention. If the roots 

 are frozen stiff, and and are not allowed to 

 thaw, until they thaw buried compactly in 

 snil, they will be uninjured. Trees which 

 stand in open ground, have, as a matter of 

 course, the roots frozen every winter, with 

 the soil in which they stand. But they thaw 

 out while still imbedded in the earth, and 

 are unharmed. 



Whenever, therefore, trees are received 

 with frozen roots, immediately procure some 

 placewhere mellow earth may be dug np, 

 eitherout of doors under buow or leaves, or 

 in a cellar, and bury the roots closely at once 

 settling the earth about them by dashing — 

 cold water on the earth which has been 

 freshly dashed over the roots. If they have 



