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THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



January, 19 1! 



superior to anything of the kind we had ever eaten. 

 I then confided the secret to my wife; she considered 

 the plants cheap at five dollars, and pronounced 

 my venture a good one. 



This was the New Rochelle or Lawton blackberry. 

 The numerous suckers which came up around each 

 root I transplanted along the border, until I had 

 more than two hundred of them. This was long 

 before a single berry had been offered for sale in the 

 Philadelphia market, though the papers told me 

 that the fruit was selling in New York at half a 

 dollar per quart, and that the great consuming 

 public of that city, having once tasted of it, was 

 clamorous for more. 



This extraordinary fruit was first noticed in 1834, 

 by Mr. Lewis A. Secor, of New Rochelle, N. Y. 

 who observed a single bush growing wild in an open 

 field, but loaded with astonishing clusters of larger 

 berries than he had ever seen, and of superior 

 richness of flavor. At the proper season he removed 

 the plant to his garden, where he continued to 

 propagate it for several years, during which time it 

 won the unqualified admiration of all who had an 

 opportunity of either seeing or tasting the fruit. 

 Numerous plants were distributed, and its prop- 

 agation in private gardens and nurseries began. 

 A quantity of the fruit being exhibited by a Mr. 

 William Lawton, it was named after him, leaving 

 the discoverer unrecognized. 



This berry possesses peculiar merits in the es- 

 timation of market gardeners. It ripens just as 

 the supply of strawberries and raspberries has been 

 exhausted, and before peaches and grapes have 

 made their appearance, filling with delicious fruit 

 a horticultural vacuum which had long existed. 

 Its mammoth size and luscious qualities insure for 

 it the highest prices, and it has steadily maintained 

 its original character. It pays the grower enor- 

 mously, is a sure bearer, is never touched by frost 

 or attacked by insect enemies, and when well 

 manured and staked up from the wind, and cut 

 down to four feet high, with the limbs shortened 

 to a foot, will readily produce two thousand quarts 

 to the acre. Its flavor is entirely different from 

 that of the common wild blackberry, while it 

 abounds in juice, and contains no core. It has also 

 long been famous for yielding a most superior wine. 



Planting the Increase 



WHEN I went into the country I had two hun- 

 dred of the Lawton blackberry to plant, all 

 which were the product of my five-dollar venture. In 

 digging them up from my city garden, every inch of 

 root that could be found was carefully hunted out. 

 They had multiplied under ground to a surprising 

 extent — some of them being as much as twenty- 

 feet in length. These roots were full of buds from 

 which new canes would spring. Their vitality is 

 almost unconquerable — everybody knows a black- 

 berry is the hardest thing in the world to kill. 

 I cut off the canes six inches above the root, then 

 divided each stool into separate roots, and then 

 cutting up the long roots into slips containing one 

 to two eyes each, I found my number of sets to 

 exceed a thousand, quite enough to plant an acre. 



These I put out in rows eight feet apart, and 

 eight feet asunder in the rows. Not ten of them 

 died, as they came fresh out of the ground in one 

 place, only to be immediately covered up some 

 three inches deep in another. 



It was thus that I occupied my seventh acre; 

 but the rows being eight feet apart, abundant room 

 was left to raise a crop of some kind between them. 

 Even in the rows, between the roots, I planted corn, 

 which grew well, and afforded a most beneficial 

 shade to the young blackberries as they grew up. 

 I .am satisfied they flourished better for being thus 

 protected the first season from the hot sun. When 

 in full maturity, they need all the sun they can get. 

 They will grow and flourish in almost any soil in 

 which they once become well rooted, though they 

 are rank feeders on manure. I had thus two 

 acres left unoccupied; one acre, as previously 

 stated, was most fortunately in clover. On 

 this I put four bushels of ground plaster mixed 

 with a sprinkling of guano, the two costing me only 

 five dollars. I afterward devoted an acre to 

 tomatoes, and the last to parsnips, cabbages, tur- 

 nips, and sweet corn. This latter was scattered 



N c 



in rows or drills three feet apart, intending it for 

 green fodder for the horse and cow when the clover 

 gave out. The turnips were sowed between the 

 corn-rows, and were intended for winter feeding 

 for horse and cow. On the acre of blackberries, 

 between the rows, I planted cabbage, putting into 

 each hill a spoonful of mixed plaster and guano, and 

 whereever I could find vacant spots about the 

 place, there also a cabbage plant was set out. 

 A few pumpkin hills were started in suitable places. 

 In fact, my effort was to occupy every inch of 

 ground with something. The cabbage and tomato 

 plants cost me thirty dollars. 



These several crops were put in as the season for 

 each one came round. The green-corn crop was 

 not all put in at one time, but at intervals about 

 two weeks apart, so that I should have a succession 

 of succulent food during the summer. 

 {To be continued) 



Plant More Grapes! 



NOT only is a well trained grape vine a great 

 addition to a garden, but it furnishes loads 

 of food, nutritious and wholesome, with the minimum 

 of care; it climbs trees, covers stone piles, is a splen- 

 did windbreak, does not demand the richest soil, 

 nor does it fret much over weather and climate. 

 Barnyard manure is the best fertilizer; and if the vine 

 is damaged it springs up readily and renews itself. 



Up to 1S50 we were at work mostly with the 

 Isabella and Catawba — foreign sorts. They 

 proved too tender for most of the Northern States, 

 and their seedlings did not equal the parents. 

 Then, almost, in a group, came the Diana, the 

 Concord, and the Delaware. Allen Hybrid was 

 the first of the white grapes worth noting; the 

 Clinton grape as a wine grape holds its preeminence. 



Then came Doctor Grant's wonderful work; 

 after half a century, I do not believe a better 

 grape exists than Iona, only it is neither quite 

 hardy enough nor vigorous enough for vineyard 

 culture throughout the grape belt. The greatest 

 achievement, however, was in the fact that Concord 

 seedlings were very sure to be of value; frequently 

 of more value than the parents. 



Then came the revelation known as Rogers 

 Hybrids. Several of these are holding their places 

 in the vineyard. If I were to select, I would take 

 Massasoit for early, Lindley and Gaertner for 

 mid-season and Herbert for late. To these you 

 might add Agawam, Wilder, and Salem. Herbert 

 is the parent of some of our very best recent pro- 

 ductions. Ml this while a lot of grapes were pass- 

 ing across the stage, like Martha, Wyoming, 

 Woodruff Red, Poughkeepsie, and better than all, 



Walter. Mr. Campbell, who sent out the Delaware, 

 used the Walter in creating many of his best seed- 

 lings. However, only one of all his seedlings has 

 survived, Campbell Early. Delaware he did 

 not produce, but disseminated. 



Where Brighton came from I do not remember, 

 but with pollination it is one of our very finest 

 achievements; without pollination it is very 

 nearly barren. Meanwhile, Worden had been 

 introduced as Concord. It closely resembles the lat- 

 ter, but is three weeks earlier, and while not so good 

 a shipping grape it is excellent for home use. Then 

 came a group out of New Jersey, no longer worthy 

 of discussion, except for Lady Washington and Jeff- 

 erson. Lady Washington carries enormous bunches, 

 but is too tender for our northern states. Jefferson 

 was not only the best of the crowd but is a mag- 

 nificent grape wherever it will ripen. It needs a long- 

 er season than that of Central New York. In this 

 it is like Golden Pocklington, which it far surpasses. 



Mr. Moore of Rochester gave us Moore Early, 

 which is to-day worthy of heading the list, both 

 for the North and the South. Later he added 

 Diamond, a white grape of splendid quality, and 

 of general value from Canada to Florida. 



I am passing over a large list, including such as 

 Jessica, Early Victor, Empire State and others 

 that were planted only to be plowed out. Niagara 

 is grown almost as universally as Clinton, and is 

 one of the very best both for home and market. 



I am inclined to think that as matters stand 

 to-day, for a short list of home grapes, I would 

 plant Iona and Jefferson even in the North where 

 they must be protected during the winter. Niagara 

 and Brighton and Herbert would constitute a trio 

 unsurpassed of white, red and black grapes. A 

 longer list will have to begin with Hayes and Lady 

 Eldorado for a succession of most delicious white 

 grapes. These should be accompanied by Brighton, 

 Worden, Niagara, and Herbert. If you prefer Camp- 

 bell Early to Moore Early, of course plant it. 

 For rough care nothing stands equal to the old 

 Concord, and close after it Worden and Niagara. 



The Scuppernong is the Concord of the semi- 

 tropical section. But I am satisfied with growing 

 Black Hamburg and Sweetwater out-of-doors 

 instead of the Muscadine family. The Pierce 

 grape is another magnificent affair in Florida, 

 loaded with bunches of large black grapes. The 

 little Duchess also, rather tender in the North, is 

 fine for the South. Niagara and Diamond and 

 Moore Early, with Clinton and Ives, and several 

 of the Rogers Hybrids grow and bear admirably 

 to the very limit of grape culture in the South. 



Florida. E. P. Powell. 



like this will furnish you with all the grapes you can possibly eat 



