EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 181 



RASPBERRIES. 



We are making- progress in the wrong- direction with the rasp- 

 berry; varieties do not seem as hardy as they used to. Between 

 insects, fungus and other diseases, we are having a hard tiine with 

 them. Of insects, the tree cricket is doing great damage. They do 

 the most damage on the suckering varieties, but thej^ are into al- 

 inost everything-, puncturing the canes and limbs, laying their eggs, 

 and the usual remedy of cutting out and burning all infected canes 

 would be impracticable here. 



The disease, known as the curl, does us much harm. What it is, I 

 do not know; but the leaves curl up, the plant is dwarfed and the 

 fruit has a bitter taste. It sometimes kills the plants, root and all. 



The anthracnose is a serious disease, and is, perhaps, the most 

 destructive to fruit of all, and plants taken (that is, the sucker varie- 

 ties) from infected plantations are sure to communicate it to the new 

 patch. It is to be hoped that this disease inay be controlled by 

 spraying. I have one of Mr. Stahl's spraying outfits, and shall use it 

 another season. 



The Brandy wine has proved my most profitable red raspberry in 

 the past; my old planting bore me seven good crops, but they are 

 gone now, and the new plantings have done so poorly, I have plowed 

 them up. I got one big crop off my Cuthberts two years ago, but 

 have got nothing since. I even got no fruit from the canes that had 

 been given winter protection. My custom is to give the red rasp- 

 berry no winter protection. 



The Hansel fruited this year for the second time. It is very hardy, 

 and is really a first class, extra early raspberry, blooming June 

 thirteenth and ripening first fruit July fourth, three days earlier than 

 any other variety. 



The only red raspberries brought into our market for the past two 

 years were by the writer, and consisted nearly all of a seedling(origin 

 and name unknown) redcap fruit, similar to the Philadelphia. It is 

 a vigorous grower, and resists insects and disease better than any 

 other raspberry I have, and it is my main reliance now for market. 

 The fruit begins to ripen three days later than the Hansel, and con- 

 tinues in bearing a longtime. If it has any naine, I have not been 

 able to find it. 



The Turner is fairly healthy, but it only bears a light crop of small 

 berries. 



Black raspberries are healthier and less subject to injury by the 

 tree cricket than the red. 



The Gregg produced the best fruit this season, being the third year 

 of bearing. They were injured a good deal by the curl. 



The Souhegan is as healthy as any blackcap I have, and, all things 

 considered, my best one. I have several new varieties on trial, most 

 of which are promising. I am in hopes of getting something from 

 them even better than the Souhegan. The secret of growing black- 

 caps is best varieties, good cultivation, winter protection and the 

 frequent renewal of the plantation. The disease called the curl is 

 not as liable to be communicated to the new patch by the plants set 

 as is the case with the sucker varieties. 



