CULTIVATED BLACKBERRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19099, 21 August 1936, Page 8

CULTIVATED BLACKBERRY

CHOICE SMALL FRUITS (JLSBORNE REQUTREMENTS ADVICE BY INSTRUCTOR Tim intensive cultivation of tin* blackberry for commercial purposes was referred to by Mr. P. ISvcrott, Government orchard instructor in Gisborne, when speaking at the annual meeting of the Poverty Bay Horticultural .Society last night. He did not recommend its cultivation in Gisborne —quite the reverse — but, when advocating the planting of berry and bush fruits in the household garden, mentioned the care taken with it in other countries. Berry and bush fruits, he said, were considered some of the choicest grown for refinement of flavour, but were often neglected in favour of trrec fruit.- The strawberry and raspberry were the most common, yet in the average home garden they were not seen. There were 15 kinds of small fruits in New Zealand, and many varieties of each kind. These fruits were easily grown, and were subject 10 fewer diseases and pests than most other fruits, so that they find much in their favour in. their growth. Most gardeners preferred to plant, say, the apple, which required a great deal of attention to guard them from pests and diseases. Most, of the berry fruits required plenty of water. YOUNGBERRY III!OSPKCTS.I l I!OSPKCTS. Speaking of the vines, after the style of the loganberry, he said that the large red loganberry was the best type in this country. The dewberry was a cross between the loganberry and a blackberry, and when fully ripened was jet black. The wineberry fruit was very small, and the flavour was not outstanding, not being worthy of a place in the average garden. The blackberry was intensely cultivated in some countries such as the United States, where it was grown commercially.

The youngberry was reported to be a cross between a dewberry and a blackberry; the youngberry was claimed to be a superior berry. He was responsible for the Department of Agriculture introducing a few plants into New Zealand, and they were under observation at Te Kawhata.

The raspberry was popular, blit most varieties did not succeed in this climate, except the Lloyd George variety, which was quite suited to this district, cropping profusely with choice fruit. He -had noted this from some plants he had imported and planted here four years ago.

Pruning of the plants should not give any great, difficulty. Weak vines should be" thinned, and no vine thinner than the thickness of a lead pencil should be left. The vines should be well spaced. With the raspberry, after removing the dead and weak young canes, the vine should be cut. back to the height of the table. GOOSEBERRIES AND CURRANTS

The gooseberry was not, to be despised, and tuere were scores of varieties, farmers’ Glory and the Roaring Lion were the two best. The cranberry was a small bush about the size of the currant with a mass of small berries. The fruit was not very palatable, the principal use being for malting! jellies. The black currant was .outstanding for flavour among the currants, but bid not do well m the Gisborne district. The red currant cropped profusely in any class o) soil. The white currant was rare, but did not have much to recommend it. No expert pruning was necessary. The oldest branches should be removed, cutting as low down as possible and taking out one-lourth of the branches each year, the oldest being removed. Other types of berries included the Chinese gooseberry, a recent importation. .Many people liked them, though the greatest use was for jam. It grew on a vigorous vine plant, with large leaves like a grape leaf, and unless one had plenty of room no attempt' should lie made to grow it. Also, the male and female species should be grown close together, otherwise no fruit would be produced. The cape gooseberry, regarded in these parts as a weed, was grown commercially m the south. It died down each year, and the young! shoots returned next year. It was frost tender, and was raised from seed. For commercial purposes, plants no older than three years were desirable. This berry was. popular for jam. The plants were susceptible to red mite, and often the fruit dropped off before it was fully matured. Unless the red mite could be conquered by spraying, the cape gooseberry was not worth growing, according to his experience. The gardener would need to spray with one part of oil to 80 parts of water. The mulberry had a number of varieties, but the most popular was black mulberry. One of the biggest troubles was the birds, which often got most of the fruit. STItAWRERRY DISEASE.

Strawberries had about 40 varieties iu New Zealnd, but only eight or 10 were grown commercially. This was one ol lire lew berry fruits which was attacked by diseases. A virus disease, once it attacked the plant, stunted the growth of the plant and the fruit. There was no cure, and the only way«of combatting it was to remove and burn the affected plants. On account of these virus diseases, which had become bad only in the past few years, some of the growers in Auckland were closing their gardens. Yet in Gisborne a few gardens could grow strawberries red with fruit. These places were those which had not introduced other plants from outside and had kept their gardens free from virus diseases. Plants from such places should give strong, healthy crops. Among the leading varieties were the Marguerite, Ilelensleigh Surprise, Melba and Captain Cook.