SUCCESS WITH SMALL FRUITS— BLACKBERRIES 



11 



The new "Watt Blackbeny 



BLACKBERRIES 



The upright-growing, or bush Blackberries immediately suc- 

 ceed the earlier dewberries, one variety, the Early Harvest, often 

 lapping in on the dewberry. Nearly all the varieties of Black- 

 berries that are cultivated have been chance seedlings found 

 growing wild, and have been propagated from these. A few 

 varieties have been produced from seed planted for the purpose. 



The best soil for the Blackberry is a strong clay loam retentive 

 of moisture, though they will grow and thrive on a great variety 

 of soils if fertile. A soil abounding in humus or organic decay, 

 whether sandy or clayey, is better than a soil deficient in humus, 

 and in preparing for the planting of Blackberries it is well to 

 start ahead and grow a legume crop, say cowpeas and crimson 

 clover, on the land to turn under to increase the humus-making 

 material. 



The plants should be set in rows 6 £eet apart and 3 feet in 

 the row. The cultivation should be shallow, for any deep working 

 increases the tendency to sucker, and too many suckers should 

 not be allowed to grow. Three good canes in a hill will be plenty, 

 and all others should be chopped out during the summer. 



After fruiting, cut out the old canes and then allow the new 

 ones to grow. Pinch the tips at about 3 feet in height, to make 

 them bushy and better able to stand. In commercial culture no 

 stakes are used, but in the garden it is neater to stretch a line of 

 the chicken-wire netting and train the canes out in a sort of fan- 

 shape on this. A Blackberry or dewberry plantation can be 

 maintained for a good many years if the soil is kept fertile and 

 the plants well attended to and cultivated. 



