887 
4388 SUPPLEMENT TO THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
BLACKBERRIES 
THE SNYDER, TAYLOR, STONE’S 
HARDY, WILSON JR., EARLY 
CLUSTER, DORCHESTER, LAW- 
TON, HOLCOMB, ANCIENT BRIT¬ 
ON, BARNARD, BRUNTON’S EAR¬ 
LY, WAUCHUSETT, BRADEN, 
TEXAS RED, WALLACE, MISSOU¬ 
RI MAMMOTH. 
Letters from Chas. A. Oreen and E S. Goff, 
N. T.; Sec. E. Williams and J. T. Lovett, 
N. •/.; J. H. Hale, Conn ; C. M. Hovey, Pres. 
Marshall P. Wilder, and Robert Manning, 
Mass.; Pres, T. T. Lyon, J. N. Stearns, 
Mich ; Pres. P. J. Berckmans, Ga.; Par¬ 
ker Earle, J. V. Cotta, III.; S. C. Satter- 
thwaite, S. C.; Samuel Miller, Sec. L. A. 
Goodman, Mo.; T. V. Munson, Texas; Suel 
Foster, Prof. J. L. Budd, Iowa. 
From Charles A. Green. 
Kittatinny is a valuable variety, and 
leaves little to be desired where it is sufficient¬ 
ly hardy. In Western New York, it partially 
winter kills, on an average every alternate 
Winter, and therefore is not profitable unless 
protected. As the canes are very stiff and 
stout, it does not pay to protect it, unless the 
canes are bent down before they have 
matured. Kittatinny is of the largest size, ex¬ 
ceedingly productive and of good quality. 
The Wilson is one of the largest, butisnot 
as hardy astheKittatiuny, but having a trail¬ 
ing habit, it can be covered at a slight expense. 
It is a remarkable variety and exceedingly 
productive where it succeeds. Its peculiarity 
of sometimes having double blossoms, which 
do not produce fruit, is often a serious draw¬ 
back. 
The Wallace is hardy with me, and is one 
of the largest of the hardy varieties. It is not, 
however, any larger than the Taylor, and not 
as productive; therefore, I think it will be 
superseded by the latter. 
Agawam is an early sweet blackberry, 
nearly as hardy as the Snyder, and exceed¬ 
ingly productive. There is not, however so 
much difference in the ripening of black¬ 
berries as of other fi uits. Blackberries gen¬ 
erally ripen over a period of three weeks, thus 
the majority are in bearing at the same time. 
Ancient Briton is a hardy blackberry 
about the size of Snyder, and exceedingly pro¬ 
ductive and vigorous. This variety is gain- 
ng popularity in Wisconsin, where it is 
largely grown. It has also been extensively 
grown at Rochester for many years. 
Stone’s Hardy is a trifle larger than 
Snyder, exceedingly productive and vigorous, 
and the hardiest of all varieties that I have 
tested. It is also of superior quality. 
Wilson Jr. is a very large variety, of good 
quality, but it is not hardy on my place. 
Early Cluster has not proved hardy, nor 
has it shown any remarkable features with 
me. 
Taylor will doubtless become one of the 
most popular blackberries. The appearance 
of the cane is different from that of any 
other variety that I have ever seen, being of 
a yellowish-green color. It is very vigorous 
and productive, very late and hardy', and the 
berries are larger than any hardy blackberry 
I have tested. At the recent meeting of the 
American Pomological Society, the Taylor 
received commendations from many repre. 
S entatives from States where none but the 
hardiest berries succeed. 
The Snyder is a general favorite, no oue 
having any fault to find with it, and it is 
enormously productive and of good quality, 
but it requires good culture to secure berries 
of u marketable size. 
The Lawton made a great sensation in Its 
day. Probably no blackberry was ever Intro¬ 
duced that created the uproar that this variety 
did. People went wild with enthusiasm over 
it. It is of the largest size and exceedingly 
handsome in appearance when first picked. 
When it first colors it is about as sour as any¬ 
thing produced on the face of the earth. A 
capsule of the sharpest viuegar burst, in the 
mouth could scarcely exceed the acidity of 
the Lawton. But if allowed to remain on the 
bush for a week after it colors, until it becomes 
soft, the Lawton is a delicious morsel, worthy 
of a place upon the golden plate of a king. 
The Lawton is, however, less hardy than the 
Kittatinny with me. Our search here in 
Western New York is for a hardy blackberry 
of large size and good quality. No matter 
how promisiug a blackberry may be, if it is 
not hardy I do not care to bother with it. I 
have numerous varieties sent me yearly,which 
I plant aud care for one year. If the coming 
Winter destroys the canes to the snow line, I 
plow them under without any further investi¬ 
gation. If they prove hardy, I continue 
their cultivation with the hope that they may 
be of larger size, better quality, or superior in 
some way to those I now have. 
Early Harvest has won the disgust of 
nearly every one with whom I have spoken, 
it having winter-billed in almost every in¬ 
stance. 1 have had it growing upon my place 
for four or five years, and have never suc¬ 
ceeded in securing a single specimen of fruit. 
Last Winter we made a desperate attempt to 
secure specimens, protecting the plants by 
winding straw about them in the most thor¬ 
ough way. Notwithstanding this, the plants 
were killed back to the ground, and we did not 
have any fruit. The peculiarities of growth, 
with us, are precisely like those of Brunton's, 
but Early Harvest is not nearly as healthy 
as the Brunton here. I have been told (I know 
not how trulj) that the Early Harvests 
that have been distributed so largely over 
the country, are not the same as those grown 
by Parker Earle, at Cobden, Illinois. 
Early Cluster and Wilson Jr. both suc¬ 
cumbed under the biting winds of our severe 
season, A plant of each which was protected 
by a covering of straw, bore a few berries. 
The fruit of the Wilson Jr. was very large, 
and of good, fair quality. Early Cluster 
showed no evidences of superiority either in 
size or quality. 
Rochester, N. Y. 
From E. 8 . Goff. 
The only blackberries we have fruited at 
the station are Kitttatinny, Dorchester, Sny¬ 
der, Brunton’s Early, New Rochelle, New¬ 
man’s Thornless and Wauchusett. Snyder is 
the most proiuctive, but the fruit is small, 
sour and seedy. I think the Dorchester most 
satisfactory, on the whole, aud the Kittatinny 
next. None have winter-killed except Brun¬ 
ton’s Early, which in the Winter of 1883-4 
froze down clear to the ground, 
Geneva, N. Y. 
From E. Williams. 
The Kittatinny thrives best with me. 
MontcUir, N. J. 
From J. T. Lovett. 
Early Harvest is the earliest and most 
valuable, succeeding admirably. 
Wilson Junior i8 next in ripening and 
profit. 
Kittatinny is good, and would be very 
valuable were it not for the fact that it is 
especially subject to the "orange” rust. 
Lawton is therefore our best medium crop 
sort. 
Taylor is also valuable. 
Snyder is a sure crop, but too small. 
Little Silver, N J. 
From J. H. Hale. 
Snyder and Stone's Hardy are the only 
real "old reliables” for our New England 
climate; the only two we have ever found 
that are absolutely hardy. They are very 
prolific of medium-sized berries. Stone’s 
Hardy is rather the largest and much the best 
in quality. The only objection is that both 
ripen late. Of the new early sorts, Wilson Jr, 
and Early Cluster have both been winter¬ 
killed the past two Winters. An early vari 
ety as hardy as Snyder is what is wanted in 
New England for the family garden, as well 
as for the market. 
South Glastonbury, Ct. 
From C. M. Hovey. 
The Dorchester and the Lawton thrive 
with me, and I value them the most; the 
former because its qualities, as a whole, sur¬ 
pass those of all others; and the latter, because 
it is by far the most delicious of all blackber¬ 
ries. 
It is now some 35 years since the late Capt. 
Lovett, of Beverly, Mass., gave account of 
his experience in the growth of blackberries, 
recorded in thB Magazine of Horticulture in 
1S50. His experience began as early as 1835, 
when he went through the fields and woods j 
selecting the largest and best berries he could 
find, and marking them, aud carefully remov¬ 
ing the plants at the proper season to his gar¬ 
den; and also raising seedlings from the 
largest berries; but the whole fifteen years of 
labor did not accomplish anything. It was 
not until he had seen the fruit of the Dor- 
chester,as exhibited at that time at Boston, that 
he discovered the least improvement over the 
wild berries. This variety he soon procured, 
and so successful was he iu its culture, that he 
exhibited fruit which measured one and one- 
half inch long, and 37 of them filled a quart 
box. 
For a time it was the only berry worth 
growing, but in 1854 the Lawton was brought 
to notice in New York first, under the 
name of New Rochelle, but later as the Law- 
tor, from its well known introducer, who 
gave an account of it iu the same journal for 
1854. So much was said about it, both in fa¬ 
vor and against it, that I made a special visit 
to Mr. Lawton at New Rochelle, to examine 
and test it. It would be almost superfluous to 
add that I bad never before, nor have I since, 
tasted a blackberry at all approaching the 
Lawton. 
Still later, and almost within the recollec¬ 
tion of the cultivators of to-day, D. S. Dewey 
of Hartford introduced the Holcomb, of which 
he gave an account iu the same magazine for 
1866, and, to make the list complete, I would 
add that it is the next best blackberry I know. 
None of the latter berries—Wilson, Kitta¬ 
tinny,etc.,are more than apologies for the three 
above named, Tbey are additions without be¬ 
ing improvements. The wonderful white 
blackberry I cultivated for a while, but it was 
as useless, as the recommendations of its ex¬ 
cellence were bombastic. And now as to the 
reasons for my preference:— 
The Dorchester is a vigorous, hardy, pro¬ 
lific cane, and the fruit is very large, of perfect 
shape and a handsome jet black; sweet and 
excellent, growing anywhere and everywhere, 
;n any good soil, bearing most abundantly, fill¬ 
ing out every berry, holding its color, and 
neither bitter nor sour just before maturity. 
The Law TON is also a vigorous grower and 
prolific cane, but unfortunately, not hardy 
enough for New England. The fruit is large 
and rounder than the Dorchester, jet-black at 
maturity, but fading immediately after gath¬ 
ered to a dark bron ze hue. Its flavor is unsur¬ 
passed, baviug just enough acidity to save 
it from the almcst insipid sweetness of some 
other kinds; but unfortunately again, it must 
not be gathered until it is ready to fall into 
jour band; a few hours before it is slightly 
bitter and then sour, so that when gathered 
it is comparatively useless for the table, and 
when fully ripe is quite too soft to carry any 
distance, and in this respect falls far short of 
the Dorchester. 
The Holcomb is similar to the Dorchester, 
but is hardly as large; it is, however, fully ten 
days later, and this enhances its value. It is 
jet-black, holds its color, aad has a decided 
flavor. The vines are very vigorous, perfect¬ 
ly hardy and productive. It is, in fact, about 
the only variety I have grown (to fruit) for 
eight or ten years. Mr. Dewey who was a 
skillful cultivator, preferred it to either the 
Dorchester or Lawton. 
But blackberries are a secondary fruit; w here 
land is cheap, and help can be fonndsufficient¬ 
ly plenty to gather the crop, it is probably 
a profitable one to raise for the market. 
The cultivator who only raises them for his 
table, however, does not need more than a 
dozen vines; these will bear enough. And, if 
garden room is limited, a half dezen: for the 
room they often occupy is dangerous to all 
visitors, and I have often thought that all the 
fruit they produce would hardly compensate 
for the wear and tear of clothes, and the 
scratching of hands. They can hardly be 
ranked higher than the blueberry or whortle¬ 
berry. Their principal use is for preserving 
purposes, not as a table fruit. 
Boston, Mass. 
From Robert Manning. 
Dorchester, Briton and New Rochelle are 
those I think the best and value the most. 
Salem, Mass. 
From Marshall P. Wilder. 
My selection of blackberries, as far as they 
have fruited with me, would be Dorchester, 
Briton, New Rochelle; Kittatinny, Snyder 
and Taylor. -A. 
Dorchester, Mass. 
From Pres. T. T. Lyon. 
The crop of blackberries is liable to be ser¬ 
iously shortened by even a slight winter-til¬ 
ing of the ends of thececes. 
The Wilson, owing to its rather low, 
spreading habit, i3 more easily laid down and 
protected than most others. This was done 
quite extensively iu portions of our State last 
Winter, with the effect of saving a fine crop 
at a slight cost. I esteem the Wilson, with 
such treatment.'as the most desirable variety 
to be grown for market in Western Michigan, 
since it is very productive, of large siz9, and 
may"be~gathered at fewer pickings than most 
others. 
Kittatinny would be much preferred by 
me if it could be carried safely through our 
Wiuters, since it is large and decidedly super¬ 
ior in quality to the W ilson; but, owing to its 
stout, upright habit, it cannot be easily cover¬ 
ed in Winter, and, moreover, it seems to be 
more liable to the attacks of fungus than most 
others. 
Snyder, Taylor, Western Triumph and 
Stone are valuable for market about in the 
order named, where they must be fully ex¬ 
posed during Winter; all are of good quality 
and productive, but decidedly smaller in size 
than Wilson and Kittatinny. Several others 
haveyetto establish a reputation. 
Grand Haven, Mich. 
From J N. Stearns. 
Iu regard to the best blackberry for this 
EARLY HARVEST BLACKBERRY. (From Nature.) Fig 536. 
