Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-11-09
RAISING BLACK BERRIES
If Given Care and Attention
They Make a Very Profit
able Crop
nv R. B. RUSHING.

To raise a five-acre patch of black
berries the first consideration is the
land. Select the site most suitable.
prefer a southeastern exposure; how
ever, most any land that will produce
forty to fifty bushels of corn to the acre
will grow good, nice, marketable black
berries.
The best time to set out is in the fall.
have planted in November, with good
results. See that the land is free from
weeds as far as possible, and have
practiced summer fallow in order to
have it free from weeds, but think it
more profitable to raise some hoe crop,
such as potatoes, and in this way the
ground can be kept clean and free from
weeds.
Preparing the land means enough
plowing, disking and narrowing to put
the soil in good condition down deep.
Most any farmer can estimate about
what this would mean.
The next thing is getting the plants,
and the best way have ever tried is
If you have a patch and can get roots
or your soil. or else they may usually
De procured from some near by neigh
Dor, and the greatest cost will usually
be the labor Of digging and setting
hem.
/ have paid all the way from $40 to
i25 per acre for the preparation of the
and and the plants and labor of set
ling.
The first year after painting the land
can be cultivated to most any crop that
will not shade the young plants too
much; but they must not be shaded,
even If you lose the use of the land for
the first year, as it would stunt their
growth. The second year there may be
few berries, but not many, and the
land should be put in something that
will shade it, such as COW peas, which
will also add humus and nitrogen to
the soil.
The third year there will be fair
crop, which will balance the expense
of cultivation and have a, little left.
The fourth year I have always had
bumper" crop, which pays all expenses
for caring for the young plants and
leaves a good big profit.
OF course the old canes must be kept
cleaned out, and in case the rust
should strike them try to cut every
bit of it out and burn it. The amount
of profit from this berry patch will
depend almost entirely on the manage
ment 1t receives.
/ find that can usually get from 15o
to as high as $50 cases, holding twen-
ty-four quarts of berries, from an acre
Of good canes. / usually figure that it
takes about 81 per case to market the
berries, paying for picking, boxes and
express.
have had berries sell all the way
from 81 to $2.50 per twenty four quart
case, depending, of course, on the con-
dition of the market. / never sell many
berries for 81 per case, for when they
get that low ] stop shipping.
| have sold many for $3.50 per case.
and in few instances have received
$3.50 per case. 1t is not very hard to
figure the profit, for anything over 81
Is usually profit.
Taking as an average through the
entire season $1.5O per case and $50
cases per acre would mean SIS net.
This, however, is putting it down very
low. But, then, taking it as they run,
some years selling for an average of
perhaps 50 per case, $50 cases would
bring in new profit of $3.50.
.Of course they are not likely to run
this high through the entire season.
but ! usually get over $50 cases per
acre and am therefore able to make
from 500 to $3.50 per acre on the aver
age.
N. p. Hansen of the North Dakota
experiment station, who has been
travelling through Russia and other
northern countries of Europe in search
= new varieties of alfalfa and clover
for cultivation in this country, has
returned with more than 300 lots of
seeds and plants to be used for expert
mental purposes. He found two yarie-
ties of alfalfa which grow in a section
of Siberia where the mercury freezes
and there is no snow.
1t is said that the opening of an
electric road in western Pennsylvania
has enhanced the value of farms for-
merly offered at 500 per acre to an
asking price of $500 to $500. The road
brings these farms into quick touch
with Philadelphia, thereby greatly in
reasing the value of their products.