24 



culture is practised, the writer recommends narrower distances, but where land 

 is more plentiful and help scarcer the greater distance is recommended, as it allows 



of cultivation with a two-horse cultivator or disc. A distance of 7I/2 or 8 feet 

 is a good average for all varieties. The hill system is recommended, however, 

 wherever possible because 



1. It saves labor in cultivating, and cultivation saves moisture. 



2. Sunlight can reach a greater portion of the plant, which is very important 



for early rij^ening and lessening of disease; also a diseased hill can be 

 removed entirely. 



3. Because they are much easier to pick and there is less likelihood of leaving 



ripe fruit, as the picker can get on all sides of the l)ush. 



4. It enhances the quality of the fruit. 



When setting out the plantation the planting in hills is very strongly recom- 

 mended, even though the grower may prefer the row system. By setting the plants 

 from three to four feet apart in hills the patch may be cultivated both ways for 

 the first season at least; much longer, usually. When this method is followed, 

 from two to four healthy plants are put in each hill — three is a good number — 

 and in two years' time they will have run together and filled up the row entirely 

 if they have been well cared for and allowed to do so. The planting indiscrimin- 

 ately from eighteen to thirty inches apart in the row is not recommended, as the 

 labor of keeping them clean the first two years will be much greater than when 

 planted as recommended above. 



Priming. In order to he able to prune a raspberry well it is necessary to 

 understand its manner of growth and fruiting. New shoots are sent up from the 

 underground root stocks during the entire growing season of each year. It is on 

 these that the fruit is produced, or in other words it is produced on the new or 

 one year wood. Sometimes the new or early spring shoots produce fruit in late 

 summer or early fall, but this is never in commercial quantity. 



Cntting Bacl\ During the growing season keep down the new growth between 

 the rows, by cultivation. By the time the fruit is ripening the new canes in the 

 rows will be as high, and in some seasons much higher, than the old canes. Eor- 

 merly it was at this season that the greater part of the cutting back, or removing 

 the tops to the heights of the old canes, was done. Excessive growth hides fruit 

 when picking, and sometimes it is so excessive that it causes much inconvenience 

 in passing between the rows. But now that practice is being discarded by many 

 of the best growers and the canes are being left untouched until late winter or the 

 following spring. A few good growers still cut back, because it causes the plants 

 to send out side shoots or laterals and take more of the tree or bush form ; also the 

 picking can be done more conveniently when the new canes are thus cut back. 

 But notwithstanding these advantages we have to face : — ■ 



1. The risk of a heavy winter and the freezing back of the canes where cut. 



2. The freezing and consequent loss of the tender laterals forced out from 



the cutting back. 



3. The risk of small, poor quality fruit on many small branches or laterals. 



The freezing back is the greatest risk. The advantage of not cutting back 

 lies in the fact that: (1) Not being cut back no excessive growth or branching is 

 forced out and consequently the bushes are hardier; (2) The tenderest part of the 

 l)ush is the tip of the branch, and if these do freeze they may be removed in the 

 spring without permanent injury; (3) The fewer good laterals sent out in the 

 spring produce a higher quality of fruit, because they are fewer in number, have not 



