242 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



self-supporting when closely planted in the row (say one and a half 

 to two feet apart) as they should be. It is far cheaper and better 

 than stakes or trellis, besides insuring plants less liability to injury 

 with cold winters. Also it makes a plantation more easily man- 

 aged with horse culture than any other plan. 



In the fall give a good top dressing of barn-yard manure around 

 each plant, to assist in protecting the roots from the effects of 

 severe cold, freezing and thawing. If it cannot be done in the 

 fall, then try to do it in the winter or spring before growth begins. 

 At any rate do it liberally. 



In the spring, when buds have started a little, or before, shorten in 

 the bushes quite severely, if yearlings, and leave only such amount 

 of bush as will be well supported. If two or more years old, 

 more bush may be left, but all should be shortened. By no means 

 allow a yearling plantation to bear a full crop. If it does, it will 

 be at the expense of future ones, and also injure the plants per- 

 manently. If trained properly, the horse cultivator can be run 

 quite closely to the plants, and should be frequently used. 



When fruit is off, cut out old bushes at once. They add noth- 

 ing to the strength of the bush if left, and are a decided iojury, if 

 the soil is poor or weather is dry. Sprouts or suckers from the 

 red sorts should be hoed off and thinned out, so that only as many 

 grow as are needed to fruit the next season. When it is deter- 

 mined to abandon a plantation, all new canes may be taken off as 

 fast as they appear. This would throw all the strength of growth 

 into the fruiting bushes. Plant in long rows, away from wind, or 

 at least so prevailing winds will blow leogthwise of the rows. 



