RASPBERUIKS. 85 



Tho raspberry, like all small fruit, does better in a rich, 

 heavy loam, but w ill do fairly well in a sandy loam, especially 

 if it be rich in humus. 



Our first experience in raspberry culture dates back to the 

 spring- of 1904, when we purchased 100 plants, supposedly 

 Kansas and Cumberland, of our friend and neigh l)or, Bro. 

 Yagc^r, and so far as we have b«en able to learn they were 

 Kansas and Cumberland. These were set in g«M>(l rich Platte 

 river bottom soil, not especially prepared, yet fairly well pre- 

 pared by plowing, harrowing, and clod-smashing or floating. 

 They were set by a green man (your humble servant) and a 

 small boy. We set them in two rows five feet by about 3Vi> 

 feet in the rows, by throwing out a spadeful of dirt and then 

 placing the plant in and firming the soil well about the roots. 

 Almost every plant lived. They were cultivated with a tive- 

 toothed one-horse cultivator and hoed enough to keep down 

 the weeds. They made an excellent growth, and the next year 

 had quite a crop of fine berries, more than enough for table 

 use. The second year we cultivated them about the same as 

 the first year, letting them have their own way as to growth 

 and "tipping." They made a great grow th, and in the spring 

 of 1900, after two or three cultivations, we mulched them very 

 heavily with common prairie hay, and such a crop, loaded 

 with great big berries, that would make one's mouth water. 

 By this time we had read several articles on "care and culture 

 of raspberries" and were getting raspberry wise, and as each 

 and every article had told us to pinch back the young shoots 

 we proceeded to pinch them back, also cut out the old canes 

 when the season was over. Our patch looked fine and we had 

 the pleasure of admiring them all fall, winter, and early 

 spring, but imagine our surprise when one day we examined 

 them only to discover that about four-fifths of them were 

 dead to the ground. Yes, dead ! Right then and there we be- 

 gan to take notice ; to sit up and think. Dead ! Why had 

 they died; what had we done, or not done to make them die? 

 That was the question. 



