422 



MANUAL OF GARDENING 



While hill culture (as recommended above) is desirable for the garden, 

 commercial growers generally use continuous rows. 



Blackberries, like dewberries and raspberries, bear but one crop on 

 the cane. That is, canes which spring up this year bear next year. 

 From 3 to 6 canes are sufficient to be left in each hill. The superfluous 

 ones are thinned out soon after they start from the ground. The old 

 canes should be cut out soon after fruiting, and burned. The new 

 shoots should be pinched back at the height of 2 or 3 ft. if the plants are 

 to support themselves. If to be fastened to wires, they may be allowed 

 to grow throughout the season and be cut back when tied to the wires 

 in winter or early spring. 



Blackberry plants are sometimes laid down in cold climates, — the 

 tops being bent over and held to the ground by earth or sods thrown on 

 their tips (Fig. 155). 



The most troublesome disease of the blackberry is orange rust 

 (conspicuous on the under sides of the leaves), which often proves very 

 destructive, particularly to Kittatinny and a few other sorts. There is 

 no remedy, and on the first appearance of the disease the infected plants 

 should be dug up and burned (p. 212). 



Varieties of blackberries. 



Many of the better varieties of blackberries are lacking in hardiness, 

 and cannot be grown except in the more favorable localities. Snyder 

 and Taylor are m.ost generally successful, although Wilson and Early 

 Harvest are often grown on a large scale for market, and do well with 

 winter protection. Eldorado is much like Snyder, that seems hardy 

 and productive. Erie, Minnewaski, Kittatinny, and Early King are 

 in many sections large and valuable sorts. 



Cherry. — Of cherries there are two common types, the sweet 

 cherries and the sour cherries. The sweet cherries are larger and taller- 

 growing trees. They comprise the varieties known as the hearts, 

 bigarreaus, and dukes. The sour cherries (Fig. 275) include the various 

 kinds of morellos and pie cherries, and these usually ripen after the 

 sweet cherries. 



The sour cherries make low, round-headed trees. The fruits are 

 extensively used for canning. Sour cherries thrive well on clay loams. 



