1- Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. 



shoots when from twenty inches to two feet high. Thej- then cease to grow 

 in height, but throw out laterals in all directions, balancing and supjwrting 

 the main stem etiectually. The following spring, early in the season, I cut 

 back all laterals with hand-pruning shears, leaving them from one foot to 

 two feet long, according to the number and strength of canes in the hill. 

 This ojjcration is quickly done and inexpensive. After pruning, I gather 

 and carry out and burn all the debris between the rows. I then cultivate, 

 first with a double shovel or barshear i)low, then in time with a cultivator, as 

 often as it is necessary to keep them clean, free from grass and weeds, up to 

 August, after which I let them rest. It is not a good plan to cultivate too late 

 in the season; you thereby cause them to grow too late to mature the wood 

 sufficiently to withstand the cold of winter. I plow and cultivate them three 

 to four inches deep. You need have no fear of injuring the roots by so cul- 

 tivating. 



RED RASPBERRIES. 



I plant the same distance as black, three by six feet. This takes 2,420 i>lants 

 to the acre. I do not cut back the canes of red varieties (as I do the black) 

 until the following sjiring, excei:)t strong growing varieties like the Turner, 

 Conover, Colossal and others of like character. These I cut back during 

 the season of growth, when about three feet high, otherwise they may grow 

 to seven or eight feet, as I have seen them grow, necessitating the cutting 

 away of too much wood in the spring. Treat suckers between the rows as 

 you would weeds, unless you want plants; cut them out when young and ten- 

 der. Sprouts, or suckers, are a great annoyance in growing red raspberries. 

 If taken in time they need scarce any care. Red raspberries, to do their best, 

 must be kept in hills, same as black. This can be done by cutting away Avith 

 a sharp hoe all sprout**, when young, between the hills in the rows, allowing 

 from four to eight canes to the hill. Manj' growers allow them to grow all 

 along the rows, though not too thick. 



OLD CANES. 



There is a difference of opinion among raspberry growers as to the best 

 time to cut away the old or bearing canes. I have tried both methods, 

 namely, leaving the old canes remain all winter and cutting them in spring, 

 or cutting them as soon as I can find time after fruiting, carrying out and 

 burning them. I am satisfied, by adopting the latter method, I destroy many 

 noxious insects, worms in various stages of life that would live over winter, 

 were I to practice the other system. It is argued that the leaf of the old cane 

 has much to do in the growth of the canes that are to bear fruit the follow- 

 ing season. I tiike no stock in that oj^inion. If your plants are in good con- 

 dition there will be leaf enough on the young canes to mature them without 

 the assistance of the leaf of the old canes that have already performed their 

 functions by maturing the crop of berries just gathered. Then, again, the 

 old canes are certainly not ornamental. Having an eye for the beautiful as 



