Stream Corner

At the present moment the two popular rootstocks are Brompton and St. Julian A. There is no reason, therefore, why stones should not be sown early in May, 2-3 inches deep, in a prepared border and, say, 2 feet apart. A year later, if trees result, these can be dug up for planting against a warm wall.

The cultivated blackberry crops very heavily indeed and the only snag about it, perhaps, is the training of the long one-year-old shoots. It is very popular for bottling, canning and cooking, and when at its best is much used for dessert. It is said that there are over 100 species of wild blackberries in this country.

Plant by allowing 15-20 feet between fan- trained, trees. I should imagine that bush trees in a sheltered southwest garden could be planted as close as 10 feet apart. Time to plant. In October or early November. Fan-trained apricots are usually bought three or four years old.

Each early March a fish manure with a 6 per cent potash content should be applied at the rate of about 3 oz, to the sq. yard, or 6 cwt. per acre. This should be put on top of the straw and be allowed to trickle through or wash in. If it is thought the canes are not growing clay, however, I prefer to plant early in the spring. This results in the least amount of loss.

Best planted as one-year-old 'bedded' specimens. Because the blackberries bear on the young wood, the idea is to cut out the canes that have fruited in the particular season and to tie in their place the canes that have grown and developed during the year.

I have never dared to sow the soil down to grass but I have mulched the ground where apricots are growing with sedge peat an inch deep in June, because apricots can suffer in dry weather. Though liberal watering in a drought I prefer the simple mulching system.