Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-01-07

Ordinarily the old canes are left
in the alleys and are cut to pieces
and mixed with the soil A 1O-disk
cultivator heavily weighted VITA
stone may be used for this purpose.
The canes and foliage rapidly decay
and furn sh humus for the soil.
Where there is much danger OF
injury from anthracnose this practice
should not be followed, as it is
thought that there is danger of the
disease spreading to the young canes
from pieces Of the old canes left be-
tween the rows. Such old canes
should be removed from the field and
burned. or they may be burned in
sled having sheet-iron body which
Is drawn through the alleys The
body Of this sled should be made like
a box, with the sides 3 or 4 feet high.
As soon as the canes have dried
little they can be thrown in. the sled
and burned without danger Of injury
to the young canes from the heat of
the fire.
Where severe winds prevail the
new canes should be left on the
ground until early spring and should
then be trained to stakes A stake
5 or 6 feet high should be set by
each plant and the canes wound
about it in a spiral The ends Of the
canes should be cut off at the top OF
the stake and the canes fastened to
it with strong, soft string or with
pliable wire, once near the top, ONE
about midway, and again near the
base of the stake.
Pruning.
Ordinarily very little pruning is
done in Logan blackberry fields. II
the plantation is growing vigorously
and a wire trellis is erected, as
already described, the canes can be
trained on this wire at their full
length. Occasionally, where the rope
system is used, the canes will become
so long that they will interfere with
those of the next plant. when tho
ends should be cut off.
Sometimes canes are produced
which are not long enough to be
trained to a wire trellis. These should
be removed, as they are an additional
tax on the plant at the fruiting season
while there fruit would be likely to
become gritty. 1t is best to leave as
many strong canes as the plants will
make and remove only the short and
weaker canes. In come sections the
plants will send out to 10 canes,
while in others the number often ex-
ceeds Is canes to the plant.
Harvesting.
The Logan blackberry begins to
ripen little later than the first
raspberries and continues for about
six weeks. Near Salem, Oregon. it
begins between June Is and July
and lasts until August / or 10, while
in the Puget Sound region of Wash
ington the season Is slightly later.
In the clear, sunny summers Of the
Pacific coast the fruit ripens quite
uniformly and should be picked every
second or third day. In climate
with humid summers the ripening is
more irregular, and much more care
must be used in picking. Three to
five pickers per acre ordinarily will
be required.
Picking for the Fresh Fruit Market.
Under efficient methods Of handling
picking, hauling, and transportation,
the fresh fruit Of the Logan black
berry may be shipped long distances.
The successful shipment of the fruit
to distant markets has been made
possible only through the improved
methods Of handling in the harvest
ing Of the fruit and by the rapid AMI
efficient transportation service put to
our service by the modern refriger-
ator express car attached to fast
mail or express trains.
Au0 MOoS COmAOn CduocS VI OdIly
decay and deterioration are mould
fungi. which develop rapidly at ordi-
nary temperatures when once the
fruit has become infected. 1t has
been shown that the decay fungi
attack the fruit through cuts and
abrasions in the skin and that these
organisms are unable to penetrate
the healthy unbroken skin of we'll.
grown fruit. The rapid decay of ship
ments within "a or SO hours after
the fruit is picked is due largely to
fungi of this class. The prevention
OF the losses resulting from these
decay fungi lies in better methods
of picking and handling in the field
and in the prompt cooling Of the fruit
afterwards.
When destined for the fresh-fruit
the berries must be picked
several days earlier than when they
are to be canned. evaporated, or used