Sumiiiii- Mcclijig. 45 



RASPBERRIES. 



(Samuel D. Gregg, Independence, Mo.) 



To the members of State Horticultural Society : — I have been notified 

 that I am on the program for a paper on raspberries. To begin with, 

 the raspberry is one of the best, yes the very best, fruits we have in its 

 season, usually from June the 12th, until July the loth. 



Hozt' to Set Out Raspberries — Procure tips of the Black Cap varieties, 

 in the spring, set in rows six feet apart, and three feet in the row. 



Hozu to Cultivate — The first year keep clean top, 15 inches high; 

 cultivate level until about middle of July, then cultivate so as to leave 

 a drain in the center of the row. The second and third years, top 18 

 inches to 2 feet, but do not make the mistake of most raisers of topping 

 too high, for the wind will have a greater purchase on them in summer, 

 and storms and heavy snows will break them down worse in the winter 

 if too tali. 



S.priiig Pruning — This should be done not too early, as a subsequent 

 freeze would kill them back and neccessitate another clipping, but do 

 it about the time the buds begin to swell in the spring. Do not make the 

 mistake of cutting the canes too long as many do^thinking they will 

 get more berries by so doing, and if they do they are small, but prune 

 according to vigor of plant or number of canes left, say about eight 

 inches from main stalk ; commence the cultivation and keep it up until 

 berries are all gathered, then finish with a center drain, as the bushes 

 •will not stand much water. 



Manuring — Scatter well-rotted barn-yard manure, in small amounts, 

 as too much is liable to create fungus; for berries, wood ashes is the best 

 I have tried, and new fresh dirt from the forest is better than barn-yard 

 manure. 



Of Pests — Some seasons, early in spring, the cut-worm does a great 

 deal of barm by cutting off the earUest canes which are the best — this 

 last spring a small worm would get into the center of the cane and kill 

 it down within three or four inches of the ground, these would better be 

 cut out and let new ones come, for the cane so killed by worm throws up 

 too many small canes from the stool which is left. Pull out surplus canes 

 to four or five, then in spring pruning thin out to three canes, then the 

 Toerries are larger, and the best plan for increasing the yield is to increase 

 the size of the berries, by so doing you increase the market value and 

 have quicker sales. 



