THE HLACK RASPBERRY. 45 



lip there we have some progressive berry men. They have tried 

 man}' different kinds but have not shown us any hir^^e attiounts of 

 the newer varieties as yet. 



Let me say right here to encourage the prospective i)lanters, 

 and to any one present who is undecided as to what croj) he may 

 plant that will pay in money and also in solid satisfaction, plant an 

 acre of black raspberries in rows wide enough apart each way to 

 cultivate with a horse cultivator, viz, from five to seven feet. Plant 

 in Maj' in good soil, care for them as the good gardener does for a 

 crop of cabbages, and in October following the ground will be so 

 covered with the beautiful bloom-covered brambles that j^ou will 

 have to pick j'our way carefull}' to walk through your plants with- 

 out many sharp scratches. Now cover carefully and next spring 

 uncover tenderly and trim closely, and fifteen months from planting 

 them you can take a load to market that will sell at sight and de- 

 lljfht seller, buyer and consumer. 



DISCUSSION. 



President Underwood: This paper is now open for discuss- 

 ion. Are there any questions to ask, or remarks to offer? 



Mr. J. P. West: How far apart should they be planted? 



Mr. Hopkins: From five to seven feet. 



Mr. West: Why do you say from five to seven feet? 



Mr. Hopkins: Well, it depends on the soil. 



Mr, Wyman Elliot: In sandy soil about five feet, and seven 

 feet in clay soil. 



Mr. Hopkins: Yes. it all depends upon the ground. 



Mr. Elliot: Is there any gain in crowding the plants? 



Mr. Hopkins: Yes, I think there is. 



Mr. J. S. Harris: I am one of those fellows who think it is 

 a great waste to plant raspberries as far apart at the start as 

 they are to remain in after years, and we make a practice of 

 setting the plants in rows three feet apart and the rows four 

 and a half feet apart, and then take good care of them and cul- 

 tivate one way only. I think that is better than to cultivate 

 both ways. That is my honest opinion; it is better to cultivate 

 only one way with the horse cultivator. We get a good growth 

 of plants and a large amount of berries, and the first year af- 

 ter fruiting we take out every other row. As I said, we get a 

 good growth of plants so the ground is literally covered, an'^ 

 the next spring we cut back pretty severely, and we get a good 

 crop of berries off the patch the first year. Where we plant so 

 far apart the first year, it is customary to put some catch crop 

 between, but three or four times it was injurious to the crop. 

 Some plant sweet corn between the rows; I would not put in 

 sweet corn. I ruined a patch one year by planting corn be- 



