19 



The Red Raspberry 



F. M. Clement 



The object of this Bulletin is not to give a detailed, botanical or horticultural 

 description of the red raspberry, but to put into readable form a few facts that may 

 be of value to the grower. The information was collected in the Orchard Survey 

 of Clinton, Louth, Grantham, and Niagara townships in the summer of 1910, by 

 conversing with practical men and getting their opinions and methods, also by 

 observing the methods of the leading growers in Elgin and adjoining counties when 

 District Eepresentative in 1911-12. In no case are the statements theory only. 

 All are backed up by the best practices of the best growers. 



The red raspberry (Ruhus strigosus) is indigenous to Ontario, and grows 

 wild in profusion in almost all sections of the Province. It is especially adapted 

 to the above and adjoining townships, and grows wild everywhere in the woods 

 there. The black raspberry {Ruhus occidentalis) is also very common, growing 

 wMd almost everywhere, but is not cultivated as largely as is the red. Almost every 

 farmer has a small patch of both species, producing sufficient for family use. 

 These small patches were not considered when quoting figures previously and 

 neither is their cultivation considered here. The black raspberry (black caps) 

 bears fruit and produces new plants in a manner distinct from the red, ai^d 

 requires different conditions and treatment; consequently it is not included in this 

 discussion. 



Extent of the Industry. The marked growth of our home cities, the extension 

 of private trade and the operations of canning factories have done much to stimulate 

 the production of this fruit. It is not long since raspberries were considered only 

 a garden product, but the above mentioned factors have operated in such a manner 

 that patches of six or seven acres are by no means rare. The four townships 

 to-day, including both young and old commercial plantations, have almost as 

 great an acreage as they have of plums or pears. (If bushes between rows of 

 trees were considered commercial crops rather than fillers the acreage would be 

 greater.) Good plantations may be found in almost any part of the townships, 

 but in the sections east of Port Dalhousie and both east and west of Jordan Harbor 

 they are made a specialty. 



To understand why they are made a specialty in these two localities is quite 

 an easy matter, but to understand why, though both sections should specialize, the 

 one section should choose one variety entirely, and the other another variety almost 

 entirely, is not so easy In the Jordan section the Cuthbert is the choice, while in 

 Port Dalhousie section the Marlboro' is preferred. A few men have some of both 

 varieties, but taken as a whole the facts are as stated above. This would seem to 

 indicate that the Cuthbert and Marlboro' are best adapted to certain conditions, 

 and soils that are distinct; or conditions under which one variety thrives best are 

 not exactly suited to the other. Let us see, if possible, what these conditions are: 



It is generally conceded that the Cuthbert is of better quality tlian the 

 Marlboro', though many do not think so. Usually, too, under the same conditions 

 the Cuthbert is the heavier yielder. But the Marlboro' has the advantage of being 

 a week or ten days the earlier, and this gains for it the top price in the market. 



