Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1886-05-29
CnItiyating Blackberries.

In an essay published on the
transactions of the American Pom
illogical society, Mr.. G. Cowlng
writes; A rich and welldrained
dry soil is most favorable to the
blackberry. On such a soil have
never known some of the most
hardy sorts TO he injured by the
most intense cold. while have
seen them much injured or killed
in NOR. sterile ground. This does
not accord with the hrliefof many
who claim that Il rich soil canseS II
lank growth which iSeasilr winter,
killed. Cultivation late III autumn
should be avoided, and the plants
should he allowed to rest and ma
turc their wood. ~ deep and rich
soil is necessary to the production
of large and luscious fruit. To pre-
vent the effects Of drought, Iregarl
n heavy mulch or leaves or sttaw
as better than cultivation. The
hest wild blackherricS are always
found near brush heaps or rotter
logs. In planting, the rows Shnnld
be seven or e %ht feet aplrt. The
plants should he two feet apart
in the rCw and have found strong
sucker plants 10 be quite as salts
factory as those from root cuttings
| recently pruned some rows OF the
Taylor kind from sucker plants
tranSp' anted sixteen months before;
they were generally three ANA ~
half feet high, three feet across the
top, and pieSc"led the dense and
compact appearance of a
well.kept hedge. For pruning
such Il line of plants grass hook
or sickle is best. To save time aud
labor, it has often been my prac-
ticc when planting blackberries 70
plant strawberries in rows with
them and in rows midway between
them. Some of my best Strawber-
rieS this season We're from plants
set last year along with blackber-
lies. All blackberry plants, when
three feet high, should have their
terminal buds nipped, to force
them to throw out lateral shoots
a severe nipping is often necessary
10 produce compact and sturdy
growth capable of resisting strong
wind. The berries should not be
picked until sweet, nor oftener
than twice Il week if intended for
hcme market, nor after being
picked should they be exposed
to a burning sun, as such eN
poslre will change their color from
bl eek to red, and give them Il bit
to flavor. But few varieties OF
blackberry worthy of general cult
yati IN have yet been tested. The
Law on. introduced abont twenty
nine years ago, was the first gener
ally cultivated. kittatinny follow
ed it, and proved slightly harder
and of better flavor, but very lia-
ole to rnSt, and not sufficiently
har ~ to be reliable III the West.
Sny Ter, Taylor and Wallace, all
orig mating i'll Indiana, and Stone,
from Wisconsin, have since been
introduced and found to be the on
ly sorts that can be prctitably
planted west of the Alleghenies
and north of the Ohio river. They
are all remarkably productive, VI
gorous, flee from disease, and Of
the most luscious flavor. Snyder
is the first to ripen, and its earli-
hess is a strong point in its favoi;
when grown on rich ground its Der
ries are above medium size. The
berries of Taylor and Wallace are
larger than those Of Snyder, and
are hardly equaled in their exquis-
lie 6avcr By those of any other va
riety. and | can think OF no reason
why they should not prove prohta-
Bile III the South.