FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 97 



eight feet apart, and the plants about two and one-half feet apart in the 

 row. Cover the plant about two inches deep and allow the furrow to 

 fill gradually during the season. 



In commercial planting it will be an advantage if the rows run east 

 and west, as the west wind is not as liable to blow down the canes. Red 

 raspberries and blackberries are planted in much the same manner as the 

 blackcaps. 



One of the greatest obstacles to success in the cutlivation of red rasp- 

 berries is in their tendency to produce too many plants, especially when 

 the roots are torn by too deep cultivation. I do not want over 2.5 plants 

 to the rod and treat all others as weeds, which they are, inasmuch as they 

 are plants out of place. Cut them off with a hoe when only a few inches 

 high. Cut out and burn all bearing wood, as soon as possible after the 

 crop is off. 



Currants and gooseberries are planted in the same manner as rasp- 

 berries, but on account of their starting to grow early in the season, 

 should be planted in fall, or very early in the spring. I prefer one-year- 

 old currants and cut back severely so as to start half a dozen shoots from 

 near the ground, then after a couple of full crops, you can cut out one- 

 third of the old wood annually, and allow enough young wood to grow 

 up to take its place. If the borer is troublesome, you will find the bush 

 form much better than the tree. 



The currant and gooseberry require heavy soil and high feeding for best 

 results. 



BEGIN WORK EARLY. 



Let us offer a suggestion for those who desire to grow for home use 

 only, and feel that they cannot spare the time from their field crops. 

 Before the rush of spring work comes on haul into the berry patch a 

 plentiful supply of straw, corn fodder or coarse manure, and spread it all 

 over the ground among the raspberries, blackberries currants and goose- 

 berries, so thickly that it will keep down weeds and retain moisture, and 

 you will not need to leave the team in the stable while the sulky cultivator 

 stands in the fence corner, and the weeds are growing in the corn, as you 

 wield the hoe in the berry patch. 



The pruning can also be mostly done during the winter, and I believe 

 there are but few farmers so situated that they are justified in neglecting 

 to supply their families with an abundance of freshly gathered small 

 fruits in season. 



SMALL FRUITS FOR HOME USE AND FOR MARKET. 



BY C. B. C00K_, OWOSSO. 



Small fruits should play an important part in the home garden. If 

 carefully gTOwn, a comparatively small number of plants will furnish an 

 abundance of the small fruits for an ordinary family. By rowing all 

 vines carefully, both ways, nearly all of the routine work can be done 

 with a horse and cultivator, thus reducing to a minimum the necessary 

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