332 



AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 





THE BLACKBERRY. 

 NEW EOCHELLE. 



The culture of blackberries as a garden frait is of quite re- 

 cent origin, dating from tire discovery made a few years since, 

 in the neighborhood of New Rochelle, Westchester county, of 

 a fine-fruited wild variety, which, on being cultivated, was 

 found to yield heavy crops of lai-ge and well-flavored fruit. 



This variety, known as the " New Rochelle blackberry," is 

 the only kind at present in extended cultivation, but probably 



will not long remain alone. " 

 It is a strong, upright 

 grower, and when planted, 

 as it should always be, in 

 very rich soil, it spreads 

 with great rapidity, and 

 its suckers, if not wanted 

 for plants, should be care- 

 fully and persistently de- 

 stroyed as they appear. 

 It requires treatment pre- 

 cisely similar to the com- 

 mon raspberry (which sec), 

 the frame with the sliding 

 bar being peculiarly de- 

 sirable, on account of its 

 veiy heavy young growth. 

 Thorough ripening is essential to the perfection of the fruit, and 

 in this respect cultivators are lialjle to be deceived by the depth 

 of color which the berry attains before it is fit to gather. 



A variety called the " White Blackben'y" is occasionally met 

 with in gardens. Its color is really a dirty chocolate, and in 

 respect to flavor and fruiting it is worthless. 



Among our wild fruits lyhich have as yet scarcely begun to 

 be regarded as subjects for cultivation, there are some that will 

 probably soon follow the blacklDerry into the ranks of cultiA^ated 

 small fruits, as the Bufililo-bciTy of the southwest, Shepardia 

 avf/entca, and the black and blue Huckleljcrrics or Whortleber- 





