Sherman Nursery Company, Charles City, Iowa 
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Blackberries 
Blackberries are a delicious small 
fruit and ripen at about the end of 
the raspberry season. Blackberries 
are excellent for use in pies or as 
jam. 
They require about the same kind 
of soil and treatment as raspberries, 
except that the bushes are larger 
and should be placed farther apart, 
about 6 feet between plants. To 
avoid too strong growth and to pre¬ 
vent the canes from spreading’ too 
far, the canes should be pinched 
back occasionally during the grow¬ 
ing season, which causes the plants 
to grow in the form of small bushes 
and at the same time bear more 
and finer fruit as well as making it 
easier to pick the crop. 
Our blackberry plants are grown 
from root cuttings instead of tips. 
This method results in strong plants 
with plenty of fine fibrous roots, 
which make a stronger and surer 
growing plant that comes into bear¬ 
ing early. 
ANCIENT BRITON — A reliable 
market variety of medium size 
and best quality. One of the 
hardiest. Berries large and sweet. 
Sells well on the market and is 
a very profitable variety. 
RATIIBUN —A strong, erect grow¬ 
er, with a strong stem branching 
freely; forms a neat, compact 
bush, four to five feet high, pro¬ 
ducing its immense fruit abun¬ 
dantly. Fruit is sweet and luscious, of extra 
high flavor; without hard core; jet black, 
small seeds; firm enough to ship and handle 
well. Very large size. 
SNYDER —One of the hardiest and best known 
sorts grown in the Middle West. Fruit large 
and of good quality when fully ripe; very 
vigorous and productive. 
Gooseberries 
Gooseberries are a sure crop. Gooseberry 
bushes are absolutely hardy anywhere in the 
middle west. They bear big crops of berries that 
make the finest kind of jelly and sauce, to say 
nothing about the delicious “g'ooseberry pie.” 
Gooseberries are rich in pectin (jell) and are 
used to mix with other fruit that does not jell 
very well. 
Gooseberries do well in semi-shaded places 
such as among trees, in the orchard or along 
fences. They should be planted 4 to 6 feet 
apart. Like currants, gooseberries bear fruit on 
second year wood as well as new wood and 
therefore you should cut and burn all wood 
three years old, leaving 5 or 6 new shoots each 
year. 
CARRIE —The Carrie is perhaps the best all 
round gooseberry that has been introduced so 
far. It is a vigorous grower and begins to 
bear very young (usually the year after it is 
set out). The fruit is borne in profusion, 
yielding several quarts per bush. The fruit 
is quite large (sometimes as large as % of an 
inch in diameter) and perfectly smooth. 
When ripe the fruit is a deep wine color with 
a very pleasant flavor. 
DOWNING —The Downing gooseberry has per¬ 
haps been planted for market berries more 
extensively than any other. The Downing is 
a very vigorous grower and a heavy bearer of 
large juicy high quality fruit. When ripe it 
is of a whitish green color. In certain local¬ 
ities the Downing is subject to mildew. This, 
however, can be easily controlled by spraying 
with Bordeaux Mixture. (See directions un¬ 
der Spraying Calendar, page 10.) 
HOUGHTON —An old tried variety. A vigor¬ 
ous grower and very productive. Berries of 
medium size, smooth, pale red, and of good 
quality. The Houghton is not subject to mil¬ 
dew. When in doubt plant Houghton. 
l’EARL —The most prolific gooseberry known. 
One bush produced 2,500 berries. It is free 
from mildew and is larger than the Downing. 
The color is light green and quality first class. 
Being thoroughly tested, it pi'omises to be 
one of the most valuable varieties of recent 
introduction and the best of its class. 
RED JACKET (Joslyn) —A most prolific and 
valuable gooseberry; as large as the largest; 
berry smooth; very hardy; free from mildew. 
