396 ILLINOIS STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Prof. Thomas had found that, in growing raspberries in a garden, 

 they succeed best upon the north side of a tight board fence, and the 

 poorest upon the south side. 



Mr. Wier stated that where mites prevail they feed upon and destroy 

 the lower leaves, while the upper, younger leaves feed the fruit ; hence it 

 is not a good practice to prune in summer or autumn. He had the Phila- 

 delphia fruiting well with him on almost pure sand without manure. 



Mr. Slade — The raspberry is one of our most important fruits, 

 because easily grown and almost universally relished. I have a difficulty 

 in growing the black-caps, which is this : The canes start out from the 

 roots a little higher each year, so that after two or three years they break 

 down under high winds. I now plant rather deeply and hill up to the 

 canes from year to year, and find that they stand up much better ; and 

 the same plantation can, in this way, be kept in bearing several years 

 longer than when planted and cultivated in the old way. 



Dr. Ennis testified strongly in favor of manure, cultivation and 

 mulching, to produce large crops of large berries. He plants in autumn, 

 and covers the first winter by throwing on a forkful of manure, and thus 

 secures a good growth the first season, no matter how severe the winter. 



Mr. Keith (of DuPage county) — I cut back the canes to three feet, 

 after planting, and have raised in this way fifty bushels per acre on prairie 

 soil without manure. 



Mr. Plum — In Wisconsin we plant in the spring, in rows eight feet 

 apart by two to two and a half feet apart in the row. We take up the 

 rooted tips of black-caps in autumn and pack them in bins or barrels in 

 the cellar, and cover over the top well with moss ; in this way they keep 

 nicely till spring. We prune by cutting the tops once during the sum- 

 mer, but never cut the laterals. Mulching and good cultivation must not 

 be neglected if you would secure a large crop. The rows should run 

 north and south, so that the plants will partially shade each other. 

 We cultivate in the spring, by first plowing away from the rows, then 

 after a short time plow back and drag down between the rows thor- 

 oughly, aftewards cultivating with the Hexamer hoe. 



In the year 1867 I planted three acres in apple trees, one rod apart 

 each way, and filled in at the same time with raspberries. We have had 

 good crops of berries, notwithstanding the ground was ''worn out land," 

 and we have given no manure. We have given good cultivation ; and 

 the fallen leaves make a mulch, being held by the snow. They also, of 

 course, act as a manure. I regard the raspberry as one of the best of 

 fruits — so easily kept when canned, and so good when dried. 



