46 



When help is plenty, we prefer the last distance, for they sustain each other, and we 

 not broken down by high winds. Yet to prevent their being thus broken down, when 

 grown in hills, a thorough course of pruning and cutting back must be followed. As 

 •toon as the new growth gets three feet high, nip off the extremity. This will cause it 

 to thicken up, and throw out Side branches and other leaders ; and as these get two. 

 feet or more in length, nip off the extremities. If this is followed up, the strongtst 

 winds will not damage them, while the crop will be equal to the highest expectations 

 — at least double the amount and size of berry that will grow on bushes that have been 

 allowed to take their own course. We have picked from rows of the Lawton, thus 

 . trimmed and well cultivated, containing forty plants, eight bushels of fruit, whde 

 other rows, that were not as well cultivated and trimmed, yielded from three to four 

 bushels. The Blackberry — as well as other kinds of small fruits — delights in off- 

 repeated cultivation, an i a thorough stirring up of the surface. Care must be taknt, 

 however, not to cultivate deep enough to break the roots, for, by so doing, they stnd 

 up an innumerable amount of suckers. The best instrument to' cultivate Blackberries 

 is Perry's Scarifier ; simply put on the broad knife behind and this prevents the te*th 

 from going in deep, and cuts off every sucker and weed clean between the rows. 1 he 

 same directions for pinching in and cutting back Raspberries answers for this fruil. 



Fig. S3. 



Fig. 34. 



If not pruned they will present some such straggling appearance as Fig. 33, while 

 if trimmed properly they will appear like Fig. 34. 



Allow but three or four stalks to grow in each hill, hoeing off all the rest as they 

 sprout, for if too many are allowed to sprout over the ground, they are not only in 

 the way about picking and working among, but detract from the growth of the main 

 stalks. If cut off, the whole strength of the roots go to the main stalks, and they 

 yield enormous crops and are easily attended to. Never plow among the roots after 

 the second year, and never dig plants from a bearing plantation ; for, in either case 

 the roots get torn and mangled, and will send up an innumerable amount of suckers— 

 thereby detracting from the fruit stalks, and soon destroying the plantation for fruit- 

 ing purposes. Mulch very heavy with any coarse litter, eaeh Fall, and trim out the 

 old stalks. The mulching will not only keep down weeds, but will keep the surface 

 moist, so that the crops will not suffer from drouths. Potatoes, or any planted crop 

 can be put half-way between those planted the first distance, for a year or two Those 

 grown the second distance can have one row of Strawberries grown between each row 

 of Blackberries, for two or three years. If they are kept thoroughly clean the first 

 year, and well mulched, they will require but very little work afterwards. To protect 

 them where they winter-kill, dig out earth from one side of the root and bend over tha 

 bush, and cover a foot or more of the ton with soil. 



