July, 19 10 



THE GARDEN MAGAZIN E 



351 



buds near the terminals of the laterals, with 

 very few near the main cane, and in all 

 varieties this tendency is sometimes noticed, 

 so that if the pruning is done before the 

 blossom buds form, you are liable to cut off 

 nearly all the blossoms and will get but little 

 fruit in consequence. It is a safe plan to cut 

 off about one-third of the bearing wood and 

 this can only be determined by waiting until 

 the blossom buds show and then you will 

 know where to cut. As soon as possible after 

 fruiting, cut out the canes that have fruited 

 and burn them. To do this work I have 

 found nothing better than an old mowing- 

 machine knife nailed on a piece of rake 

 handle about four or five feet long. Have 

 the knife ground sharp and the work may be 

 done very easily, but you will need to wear 

 gloves when doing this to protect the hands 

 from the sharp spines on the canes. After 

 this work is done all that is necessary to do is 

 to keep the ground well cultivated and free 

 from grass and weeds. The subsequent 

 treatment is the same each year. 



As to varieties, I select from the best these 

 few, which I know by experience to be good: 



Snyder, a strong grower and hardy; very 

 productive; fruit of fair quality, but small. 



Ancient Briton, a vigorous grower, very 

 hardy and productive. The quality is better, 

 and the fruit larger than in the Snyder. 



Minnewaski, Erie and Lawton are all 

 large-fruited varieties and very much alike. 

 They are moderate producers of high 

 quality fruit and when fully ripe have no 

 core. Erie is the largest of all. 



Eldorado is the most popular at the present 

 time. I prefer it, if only one variety is set, 

 to any of the others, either for home use or 



Root-cutting plants can be depended upon to have 

 a good root system and to transplant well 



market. It covers a long season, the fruit 

 is large and quality good and the sweetest 

 of all. 



The old Kittatinny is an extremeiy large 

 berry and of exquisite quality, but it is little 

 grown now on account of rust, which attacks 

 the canes and spoils the crop. 



Very like the real blackberry is the dew- 

 berry, or "low blackberry." Though many 

 varieties have been cultivated from time 

 to time, there is only one, the Lucretia, 

 grown to any extent. While the black- 

 berry grows similarly to the raspberry, on 



an upright cane, the dewberry runs or trails 

 on the ground and soon mats thickly 

 unless restricted. It also differs from the 

 blackberry in that it does not throw up 

 suckers as do the blackberry and red rasp- 

 berry, but propagates from the tips, taking 

 root like the blackcap raspberry. Plants 

 should be set any time in April or the first 

 part of May in the Northern States, and 

 earlier in the South. Set them about three 

 inches deep, leaving on about a foot of the 

 cane to handle them by. They do best in 

 a sandy loam. Make the rows seven feet 

 apart and put the plants five feet apart in 

 the row for either garden or field culture. 



For the first two years potatoes or any 

 other low-growing crop may be planted 

 between the rows. Keep the ground well 

 cultivated and free from weeds, cultivating 

 the same way to keep the vines straight 

 in the row to a width of about two 

 feet. In spring trim the canes to about four 

 feet in length. Drive stakes two feet high 

 in the row every fifteen feet. Staple a wire 

 on top; then tie the bearing canes to wires. 

 In this way the fruit is easily gathered and 

 will be clean, leaving the ground clear 

 for the new canes for next year's fruiting. 

 The first year after planting you will get 

 some fruit, the second year a fair yield, 

 and the third year a full crop. The vines 

 will continue to bear for eight or ten years 

 before they begin to fail. 



The fruit is jet black and of the finest 

 quality, being without core when fully ripe, 

 and fully as large as the largest blackberry 

 grown. The plant is also very productive. 

 In season it is from a week to ten days earlier 

 than the earliest blackberry. 



By proper pruning to keep the plants bushy, stakes can be done away with. Wait until the blossom buds show before pruning 



iiuuiiiHHHHHBiBean 



-■ ■ 



mm 



