188 
May. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Culture of the Blackberry. 
In answer to an inquiry on this 
subject, we copy the annexed re“ 
marks and engraving, from Ho- 
vey’s Magazine. 
“ The blackberry is likely to be¬ 
come one of the most esteemed 
of the smaller fruits. Since the 
introduction of the improved va¬ 
riety, about six or seven years 
ago—of which we have heretofore 
given several accounts, and whose 
cultivation has been so well de¬ 
tailed in our last volume, by Capt. 
Lovett, of Beverly, who has been 
one of the most successful grow¬ 
ers of the fruit—it has been very 
generally disseminated; and, the 
past year, many remarkably fine 
specimens were exhibited before 
the Massachusetts Horticultural 
Society. 
“ The liberal premiums offered 
for this fruit, by the Society, have 
had the good effect of producing 
very general competion; and so 
superior have been some of the 
specimens—so much larger than 
when first exhibited, evidently 
showing what care and attention 
will do for this as well as other 
fruits—that the Society have 
deemed it advisable to offer a 
high prize for a seedling, with the 
hope of still further improvement; 
for, although what few attempts 
have been made in this way, have 
not been attended with very fa¬ 
vorable results, there is still good 
reason to believe that it will yield 
to the ameliorating influences of 
cultivation, as well as the straw¬ 
berry, the gooseberry, or the 
raspberry. 
u Our engraving represents a 
single cluster of the blackberry, 
of the ordinary size, under good 
cultivation. Several of the berries exhibited by Capt. 
Lovett, C. E. Grant, and other amateurs, the past sea¬ 
son, measured one and a half inches in length. 
“We can commend the blackberry to all lovers of fine 
fruit, as one which should in no case escape their atten¬ 
tion. A dozen vines, when well established, will yield 
Leaf-blight on Pear Seedlings. 
Isaac Hildreth, who has long been engaged in rais¬ 
ing nursery seedlings or stocks on'a large scale, and who 
is a close observer as well as skilful culturist,has furnish¬ 
ed some interesting facts on the leaf blight to a late num¬ 
ber of Moore’s New-Yorker. He considers the cause to 
be a parasitic fungus, like the rust in wheat; which is cor- 
robated by repeated instances of its being borne through 
the nursery in the exact, direction of strong winds, and in 
one case by a stream of water, carrying, as he thinks, the 
minute seed. He is therefore of the decided opinion that 
the only way to raise pear stocks with any prospect of 
success, is to select a piece of ground far away [miles] 
from any nursery where this malady has ever existed, 
and which has never been used for growing trees, and 
then cultivate the plants by tools never used in a nur¬ 
sery ; for a single tree atfected will soon poison by rapid 
multiplication, all the rest. A piece of old meadow or 
sufficient fruit for an ordinary family. For its cultiva¬ 
tion we would refer to the article of Capt. Lovett above 
mentioned; merely remarking that the berries should 
be allowed to get fully mature before they are gathered; 
otherwise much of their excellence is lost. They will 
drop from the stem ,upon the least touch,when quite ripe.” 
pasture, manured highly with well rotted stable manure 
and leached ashes, as much of the former as can be plow¬ 
ed and worked in, is particularly recommended 3 and 
thorough and clean cultivation, to impart health and vigor, 
is highly essential. By adopting this course he has been 
eminently successful, although formerly a large sufferer 
by blight. 
■ ♦ 0 ♦ — 
Hybrid Perpetual Boses. —We have often thought 
that one dozen sorts of Hybrid Perpetuals, ivell selected, 
would contain about all that is essentially desirable, al¬ 
though every cultivator might make a different selection, 
and different soils and localities would also have an im¬ 
portant influence on the list. Hence the nurseryman who 
supplies them must have a greater number to pick from. 
Nevertheless, some of the greatest rose culturists are re¬ 
ducing their numbers. Rivers has brought his list down 
to sixty-seven, although a less noted neighbor retains his 
one hundred and ten. 
