RED RASPBERRIES IN MINNESOTA. 273 
RED RASPBERRIES IN MINNESOTA. 
WM. LYONS, MINNEAPOLIS. 
I will give my plan for the cultivation of the red raspberry, not as 
authority but for what you may consider it worth. I shall refer to 
‘field culture. The rows should be about six feet apart, and the 
plants about three feet apart inthe row. If planted further apart 
than this, the canes grow too strong and are liable to break when 
laying them down for winter protection. 
Red raspberries may be planted either in the fall or spring; I pre- 
fer fall planting. When ready to plant, I mark the ground three feet 
by six feet. The wide rows are opened with a shovel plow; then at 
the cross sections set the plants. This open furrow gives a good 
chance to spread out the roots of good one-year-old rooted cuttings; 
‘suckers, such as are usually used, can be planted much more 
easily, because having no fibrous roots. A hole is made with a 
spade, they are dropped in, and the ground firmed around them. 
There is but little to do the first year except to keep them clean, 
A row of potatoes or cabbages can be planted between the rows the 
first and second years. When the plants are about twenty inches 
high, nip the tops off, which will cause them to branch out at that 
height, and they will be self supporting. I never use stakes or wire 
for the red raspberry. 
Raspberries can be grown after the first year with less work than 
potatoes, and by manuring and cultivating the plantation can be 
kept bearing for several years without renewing. They are adapted 
to almost all soils. Allow five or six canes to the plant, and treat all 
the rest like weeds. The second year pinch or cut the tops off when 
about three feet high. 
Hansel, Turner, Cuthbert and Marlboro are the kinds mostly 
grown for the Minneapolis market. Cuthbert and Hansel are so 
badly affected with ‘‘curled leaf” that in some sections their culti- 
vation will be discontinued. It is fortunate for us that several new 
varieties now being introduced will take their places, namely, the 
Loudon, King, Miller’s Red and Thompson’s Early Prolific. Shaf- 
fer’s Colossal isasplendid berry (except forits color) and a vigorous 
grower. Some of the berries are monsters in size, averaging seven- 
eighths of aninchin diameter. It is about the same in quality as 
the Philadelphia, which we had to discard on account of its dark 
color. The Columbian is another new berry, claimed to be superior 
and larger than the Shaffer, of which it is about the same type and 
color. It propagates readily from the tips and never suckers from 
the root. Itis a very promising variety for canning. Some thinkit 
is the best raspberry in cultivation when grown on rich, strong soil. 
It is very difficult to give it winter protection, the canes are so 
strong and woody. On poor soil it is more easily taken care of. 
In this state, to insure a crop,it is necessary to lay down and 
cover in the fall. Some hardy varieties, such as the Turner, will do 
fairly well without winter protection, but they will do better with it. 
I put off laying them down as long as I can, but still get them down 
