14 
P. J. BERCKMANS COMPANY'S TREE AND PLANT CATALOG 
Small Fruits. 
BLACKBERRIES 
Strong Plants, 50 cents for 10, $2 per 100; 
$15 per 1,000. 
Cultural Directions for Blackberries. —Blackber¬ 
ries thriveon almost any soil, but the most desirable is 
a strong loam, retentive of moisture, tending toward 
clay rather than sand, butsoil must be well-drained at 
all times. Fertilizers containing a good proportion of 
potash are the most desirable; too much humus or nitro¬ 
gen will induce a rank growth of wood at the expense of 
the fruit. As a preventative for rust, spray with copper- 
sulphate solution during the fall ana winter and with 
Bordeaux (4 6-50) during the spring and summer. The 
rows should be 6 to 8 feet apart and the plan ts from 8 to 
4 feet in the row. according to the character of the soil. 
If desired to cultivate both ways, set the plants in checks 
6 to 7 feet each way; as soon as the fruiting season is 
past remove the old canes; these should be burned at 
once. The young canes should be clipped off when they 
reach the height of about 2 feet; this will cause them to 
branch and they will become self-supporting. Apply 
fertilizer during the late winter and give shallow and 
constant cultivation. 
Erie. Very productive. Fruit large, round; good 
quality. One of the most popular sorts. 
Early Cluster. One of the largest and most produc¬ 
tive; fine early sort. 
Mersereau. A most valuable variety; fruit of immense 
size ; early and enormous bearer, very hardy, and prom¬ 
ises to be a very popular market sort. 
Wilson’s Early. A fine, very large early sort. Of ex¬ 
cellent flavor. Ripens finely. Very productive and one 
of the best market sorts. Ripens end of May. 
DEWBERRIES 
Strong plants, 50 cents for 10, $2 for 100, 
$12 per 1000. 
Austin’s Improved. After trying this variety for sev¬ 
eral years, we pronounce it, with confidence, the best 
Dewberry for this climate. Fruit very large, subacid, 
vinous, but of second quality. Enormous bearer. The 
most productive market variety we have ever grown, as it 
is 8 to 10 days ahead of any other. Strong and vigorous 
grower and stands our hottest summers perfectly. Free 
from rust. 25 two-year plants produced 40 quarts of im¬ 
mense berries. 
RASPBERRIES 
Strong plants, 50 cents for 10, $2 per 100, 
$15 per 1000. 
Cultural Directions for Raspberries.— The same 
as for Blackberries. These thrive best in a deep, moist, 
well-drained soil; the lighter loams are best for the red 
and the heavy loams for the blackcaps. To make a suc¬ 
cess of Raspberries, the land should be able to withstand 
drought well. Cottonseed meal, pure ground bone or 
fertilizers containing a good proportion of potash are 
best and should be liberally applied during the winter 
and early spring. 
Columbia. Fruit resembles Shaffers; very large pur¬ 
plish; vigorous and productive. 
Cuthbert. After several years’ trial, this proves one 
of the best and most reliable of the red fruited varieties. 
Fruit red ; large of excellent quality ; yield very prolific; 
ripens middle of May and continues for several weeks. 
Golden Queen. Fruit golden yellow, similar in qual¬ 
ity to Cuthbert, to which it is evidently a close relation. 
Its fine color attracts the eye. Prolific; stands our sum¬ 
mers. 
Loudon. Fruit large, rich crimson; excellent quality ; 
very productive, and stands the Southern climate with¬ 
out injury; is a good shipper, as berries do not crumble. 
The more we see of this berry the better we like it. 
STRAWBERRIES 
Price of strong plants, tied in bunches of 25, 
50 cents per 100, $4 per 1,000, Special 
prices for large lots. 
Cultural Directions— The strawberry adapts itself to 
almost any soil which is not too wet or arid, but it will 
do best on a deep, rich, sandy loam. The land should be 
thoroughly prepared by being broken up with a two-horse 
turn-plow, first applying from 15 to 25 two-horse loads of 
well-decomposed manure to the acre ; a top-dressing of 
hardwood ashes (40 or 50 bushels), muriate of poiash 
(300 to 400 lbs.)or bone meal (500 lbs.) should be applied 
per acre during February. Avoid nitrogenous fertilizers 
just before the blooming period,as these will induce a 
strong vine at the expense of the fruit; the plant is also 
forced into a very sappy growth, which will make it ten- 
derand therefore susceptible to being burned out during 
the hot, dry summers. Plants set out after the fall rains 
will yield a fair crop of fruit during the followingspring; 
but a large crop cannot be expected until the second 
year. It is undesirable to let the plants remain after th^ 
second year, and more profitable to plant every ynar, so 
that one field may take the place as the other is plowed 
up. Set the plants in rows 8x1 feet, thus one acre will 
require 14,520 plants. For the South we advise matted 
rows in preference to stool cultivation, as the former is 
more resistant to prolonged droughts. After the crop is 
gathered keep the soil well stirred and always free from 
weeds. Remove all runners as fast as they appear; this 
will increase the size of the plant and also the Quantity 
of the berries produced. We have tested hundreds of 
varieties of strawberries and find few that will give gen¬ 
eral satisfaction. Locality has a great influence upon the 
success of this fruit and therefore we cannot depend 
upon the same variety thriving equally well in different 
soils and localities. 
Mulching —After a thorough working of the soil in the 
early spring, a thin covering of straw or leaves can be 
)laced around, but not over the plants. Let this mulcti¬ 
ng remain during the fruiting period, then remove. 
Keep the beds well cultivated and free from weeds during 
the balance of the year. 
Sex of Blossom.—T he blossoms of most varieties are 
perfect or bi sexual,and are termed staminate , but some 
varieties, destitute of stamens, are imperfect and are 
termed pistillate. The latter are, as a rule, the most pro¬ 
ductive if planted near perfect flowering sorts; other¬ 
wise they will not produce fruit. Plant three rows of a 
good pistillate variety, then three rows of a perfect or 
staminate sort, etc. Hoffman, Lady Thompson, Michel 
and Tennessee Prolific are good pollenizers, but care 
must be taken to keep the runners of each variety from 
encroaching upon the others. 
Ordering Plants. We cannot fill orders for plants at 
the prices quoted until the plants are well rooted, and 
providing that the condition of soil admits of being dug 
withsafety. Tofillorders for plants before the last crop 
of runners is well rooted entails the loss of three plants 
where one is secured. We request our patrons not to 
have plants forwarded until the weather is sufficiently 
cool, and the soil in good order to plant with safety. 
Leading market varieties in CAPITALS. 
All varieties listed below are staminate, or with perfect 
blossoms, except those marked (P), which are pistillate. 
Bessie. Large, crimson, firm: excellent flavor; 
resembles Sharpless; plant very vigorous. Ripe April 25. 
Beverly. Large, irregular in shape; deep red, 
colors evenly; quality very good; foliage healthy; a 
fancy market sort. 
BIG BOB. Very large; deep red, somewhat irregular; 
sweet; best in rich, sandy land. An all-round good 
berry. Ripe May 1. 
Excelsior. Very productive; medium to large size; 
dark red; globular form. Fine flavor. Heavy yielder. 
A promising variety. 
HOFFMAN. Large to very large; ripens earliest of all 
berries; colors evenly and carries well; quality very good; 
very vigorous and stands the summer well. Origin, 
Charleston, S. C. Remarkably successful in the coast 
region. Can supply this variety in very large quantities. 
Matures two weeks in advance of Wilson’s Albany. Ripe 
April 15. 
LADY THOMPSON. Large; usually round; light 
scarlet; colors evenly, and berries are of regular size; 
firm, sweet, quality good; as early as the earliest, and a 
prolific bearer; plants strong and healthy. The most 
profitable early variety for this section. Ripe April 15. 
Marshall. Berries of regular form ; dark, glossy red; 
fine flavor. A fine amateur sort. 
MAY KING. Berry medium; bright scarlet; early, 
quality good. 
MICHEL. Medium, regular and globular; colors 
evenly,dark red; quality very good; very prolific, and 
ripens very early. In some sections it is the earliest of 
all varieties. Foliage healthy; plants robust. A valua¬ 
ble early variety for shipping. Ripe April 20. 
