VALLEY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 289 



cap family, that were set two years ago last spring, and carefully 

 attended, failed to give a crop this year. My own planting has 

 been better on high than on low land. I think the fruit requires an 

 open, airy space, good soil and good, clean cultivation, to be suc- 

 cessful. 



Of the red raspberries, the Turner, considering its great hardi- 

 ness, is one of the surest kinds to grow for family use. Do not 

 allow many canes in the row, keep sprouts and weeds down by fre- 

 quent cultivation, and it is about as certain to yield fruit as any 

 plant or tree that I ever knew. 



The Cuthbert is a most excellent red raspberry, but is liable to 

 be killed by our severest winters. The newer kinds, the Marlboro 

 and Crimson Beauty, give some fruit, but I prefer the Turner. The 

 Reliance is too dry and the berries crumble in picking. The Thawch 

 is a small plant, extremely hardy, productive, fruit very handsome, 

 quality second rate, very firm, good for shipping. Shaffer's Colos- 

 sal is a large berry, large plant, very productive, and the fruit is the 

 best of all for canning. This raspberry, owing to its large size of 

 bush, should be planted eight feet by four. 



A.mong blackberries the Snyder is one of the most reliable of 

 the old sorts. When planted in rows nine or ten feet apart, it is a 

 pleasure for the lady members of the family to gather the fruit, with- 

 out having their clothes caught and often torn by the sharp thorns 

 with which the bushes are covered. Stone's Hardy is a hardy and 

 prolific bearer, it is not as good for canning as the Snyder, its only 

 value is due to the fact that it is later than the Snyder, thus prolong- 

 ing the season for this fruit. In most eases of blackberry culture 

 the canes occupy too wide a space in the rows. Keep the rows of 

 bearing canes very narrow, cut off all the rest even with the ground; 

 cultivate well the first year, after that very shallow or mulch, and 

 you will have blackberries and plenty of them. The largest crop is 

 generally the third year after planting. Plantations require renew- 

 ing, every few years. When properly managed the blackberry is 

 probably one of the most certain fruits that can be grown in our 

 country and will prove a valuable addition to our winter's store, as 

 they are easily kept by canning; the only wonder is that it is not 

 more generally grown. 



Speaking of plums, I hardly know what to say. The European 

 varieties are not hardy with us, and if they were, in nineteen cases 

 out of twenty the curculio would destroy the fruit. Of the newer 

 kinds of American origin i have some hopes.' I have the Wild Goose, 

 De Soto, Bassett and some other kinds that have blossomed every 

 spring for the last four or five years, but 1 have failed to get fruit. 

 In the case of the Wild Goose. I have reason to believe the blossoms 

 are imperfect when grown by itself. With some of the others I 



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