THE RASPBERRY. 29 



many branches and bear fruit, and making it a solid matted row. 

 The winds could not break them down, and they produced an abun- 

 dant crop of berries. They should be well cultivated. I plow three 

 or four times, hoe twice; indeed, keep them perfectly clean from early 

 spring to last of August. 



In spring, just as growth starts, I go through canes with a pair of 

 pruning shears and cut all the dead ends off the branches on canes. 

 Cut to a good strong bud, you will always have the dead tips; if not 

 cut off, they are very annoying in picking berries and detract from 

 live wood more or less. This mode of culture and pinching, etc., I 

 regard as very essential. The person that tries to grow raspberries by 

 just planting once, possibly plowing once or twice a season, will very 

 soon say, "It don't pay to grow raspberries in Nebraska," and give it 

 up in disgust, but if you will give clean culture and carefully pinch 

 back and prune, you are sure to say it pays, and pays big, to grow 

 raspberries in Nebraska. 



I have never planted or grown anything that has made me as much 

 money, for amount of labor, as my raspberries. July 13, 1883, I had 

 six acres of raspberries just getting large enough to bear nicely. That 

 memorable day to many a Cass county farmer and fiuit-grower my six 

 acres was entirely wiped out by the hail, or all of them which was 

 above ground. The roots remained alive that summer, but made no 

 growth that season; the next spring made a fair growth, and the next 

 year bore a good crop. I continued planting until I had five acres of 

 Tyler, two and one-half acres of Gregg, and one-half acre of Turner 

 and Cuthbert. The Tyler I regard as the most profitable. It is early, 

 hardy, and productive; berry of good quality. The Gregg is ten to 

 twelve days later, larger berry, and good quality, but the canes are too 

 tender for our climate. I still cultivate tliem, but can't get as good 

 return from them as the Tyler, The Cuthbert I recommend as a good 

 berry in quality, but not very sure bearers. From 1886 to 1890 my 

 raspberries (eight acres) netted me over one thousand dollars each year. 

 Since then the dry weather and the shade of the large trees lias 

 greatly reduced profit of them. 



I am planting a small orchard, the trees are set twenty-five feet 

 apart, and setting to raspberries at once. Set one in each apple tree 

 row, and two rows between apple tree rows. I believe they will 

 be profitable ten to fifteen years. 



