THE RUSHIRE FRUIT FARM, IONIA, MICH. 
27 
large and fine berries. Cut these roots into 
pieces of the proper length in the fall and pnt 
them through a callousing process for several 
months so they will emit fine roots from every 
part, plant them in nursery rows and in the 
fall take up the plants again, shorten the roots 
to the proper length and put them through a 
second callousing process so that roots will start 
^ from both sides and ends of every root. Set 
them for fruiting and at the end of the year if 
you will dig up the plant you will find every 
inch of the ground fully occupied with a mass 
of fibrous roots close to the main bush. Plants 
treated in this way will surely yield double the 
crop of those grown from suckers and will last 
more than twice as long, and the fruit will be 
double in size and much sweeter and richer, 
besides the unmitigated nuisance of suckers 
will be largely avoided. Blackberries prefer a 
rather heavy soil, but will do well on any 
land if properly fertilized. 
Wood Ashes 
are the great fertilizer and should be applied 
liberally. On sandy land they may be sown 
broadcast at from fifty to seventy-five bushels 
per acre, and should be applied broadcast 
' between the rows every two or three years to 
secure the best results. They reijuire but little 
nitrogen. 
The ground should be deeply worked before 
setting the plants. The rows should be seven 
to eight feet apart and three feet apart in the 
row, giving ample room to keep the ground 
mellow, which is the great secret in preventing 
the ground from drying up. Don't let a sucker 
grow outside of the straight row, so it will 
remain only one plant wide, then the cultivator 
can do nearly all the work. Never take a 
sucker out of a bearing plantation for planting. 
I By so doing you cut and mangle the roots, thus 
weakening the canes, besides it causes them to 
send up innumerable suckers and you will 
soon find your plantation rapidly failing. 
Prune pretty closely and the berries will be 
I enough larger, richer and finer to more than 
compensate for the number cut off. 
As soon as the new canes get to be two feet 
high pinch of the terminal bud and they will 
throw out laterals and become strong and 
stocky, needing no stakes or other support. 
Don't pick them of tener than twice per week, 
as they are not ripe until they have been fully 
black for two or three days. A green black- 
berry isn't the sweetest thing on earth. 
Strawberries or most any crop can be planted 
between the rows the first season. Keep the 
cultivator going. Blackberries root deep- 
especially if the ground is stirred deeply the- 
first year. 
In a dry time cultivate after each picking: 
just at night so the cold soil brought in con- 
tact with the warm air will condense the mois- 
ture of the atmosphere. Pew people realize- 
the importance of this in working all farm 
crops. 
Varieties. 
From the long list we select the following,, 
which we believe are of the greatest merit. 
The Minnewaskia 
has not been fully testecT 
here, but reports from all 
quarters are very flatter- 
ing. It is reported per- 
fectly hardy, enormously 
productive, extra large, 
fine fruit, ripening ex- 
tremely early. If further 
test proves this it will be- 
a great acquisition. 
Stone's Hardy 
ripens about the same time as the Taylor. It 
is not so hardy nor is it so large and of good 
flavor. I am not propagating or fruiting it 
only in a small way, as it is certainly interior 
to Triumph or Taylor. 
Taylor's Proupic, 
which is a late variety 
and has the sweetest 
and riche.st flavor of all 
blackberries under cul- 
tivation. It follows the 
Triumph, and continues 
to ripen until early 
grapes are ripe, thus 
making a continuous 
market. 
The Wilson, Jr., 
and Early Wilson are nearly identical. They 
