o*> 
A Raspberry Large and Firm as Columbian, Hardy. 
Blackberries 
The blackberry is an exceedingly profitable fruit crop to grow, provided a 
satisfactory market can be obtained for them. The competition of wild ones has 
been a serious menace in many sections in years gone by, but this state of alTairs 
is rapidly giving way to better conditions. The old slashes and wild places that 
used to grow up to blackberry plants after the timber was cut off are now being 
rapidly reclaimed, and there is a limit to the production of wild blackberries. 
The cultivated crop will be more and more important and remunerative from 
year to year. It takes from 100 to 200 plants, made up of several varieties to 
supply the family in fresh fruit from day to day and enough to can; and it is 
better to have a supply in one’s own garden than to spend so much time in roam¬ 
ing the fields for wild ones. 
CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 
Blackberries require about the same treatment as raspberries, but should 
have a little more room. They do best on well drained land that does not hold 
water long after a rain. The rows must be marked 7 or 8 feet apart and the 
plants set from 1 to 3 feet apart in the rows. It is a good plan to plow deep 
furrows and set the plants in the bottom on the loose fine earth, filling in about 
them slightly when first set. As the plants grow, the furrows can be gradually 
filled until level full. 
Cultivate the middle and hoe about the plants the first year sufficiently to 
keep weeds down and the plant growing. Treat all canes that come up between 
the rows as weeds, cut them off. Don’t run the cultivator too deep, as every 
broken root sends up a sucker which will interfere with cultivation. Nip the 
canes back like raspberries to make the bush grow stocky and self-supporting. 
When the canes finally crowd the paths, you can cut them off with bush hook or 
scythe to keep within bounds. Mulch under bushes where cultivator does not 
reach, and keep middle well cultivated from year to year. 
Snyder. —The standard early black¬ 
berry. It is hardy, vigorous, healthy 
and enormously productive. The canes 
are upright growers, stiff and abun¬ 
dantly able to hold up the large crop of 
fruit. The berries are large, round in 
shape, very firm and of good quality 
when well grown and allowed to ripen 
before picked. For years growers have 
tried to get a better blackberry than 
Snyder but few will admit that they 
have succeeded. % It is to blackberries 
what Dunlap is to strawberries ; Cuth- 
bert and Plum Farmer are to raspber¬ 
ries, etc. The canes are reddish in color 
and unequaled in hardiness. Doz v 50c ; 
100, $1.50; 1000, $10. 
Taylor. —This variety is later than 
Snyder and almost as hardy. The canes 
are greenish yellow in color, very pro¬ 
ductive. The berries are larger than 
Snyder and of better flavor. The shape 
of the berry is long. The flavor is ex¬ 
cellent, fully as sweet as wild blackber¬ 
ries and of more pronounced character. 
Doz., 50c; 100,. $2; 1000, $15. 
Watt. —I visited Mr. Crawford of 
Ohio last fall and lie assured me that 
Watt was his best blackberry. He de¬ 
scribes it thus : “This is a chance seed¬ 
ling that came up in an orchard, near 
Lawrence, Kansas, some 12 years ago. 
After hearing very favorable reports 
from neighbors of the finder, we ob¬ 
tained it on trial some years ago. Last 
season we had it in full bearing along¬ 
side of the Eldorado, Blowers and 
\\ ard. After watching the behavior of 
all the varieties to the end of the sea¬ 
son, we found the Watt to be the most 
desirable of them all, when every point 
was considered. Hardiness is an indis¬ 
pensable characteristic for this climate. 
The Watt is hardy as far as tested. It 
is a good grower, fully equal to any we 
have on our place.” The Watt is a fine 
growing plant with us, but has not fruit¬ 
ed here yet. It is a good bearer, and 
ripens its berries over a long period, 
from medium early until very late. The 
fruit is large, roundish and glossy black. 
In quality is one of the best. Doz., $1; 
100, $5. 
Blowers.— One of the most remark¬ 
able new fuits ever introduced, A 
woman discovered it growing wild. 
It has been grown 14 feet in height and 
single bushes have produced as high as 
2,694 berries. The original 1/3 of an 
acre has borne in five years the enor¬ 
mous crop of 10,637 quarts. It has the 
longest fruiting season of any black- 
