STATE HORTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 395 



distance apart. I would put them five feet one way and six feet 

 the other, thus giving plenty of room for cultivation. My ex- 

 perience has been that I can do just about as much by cultivation 

 as by mulching, and in cultivating I produce berries a good deal 

 earlier. If they are mulched they will be much later. A great 

 many people mulch their berries, and the result is that the late 

 varieties are ripe at about the same time as blueberries and 

 blackberries. As a general rule I don't think there is anything 

 gained in mulching, eJthough you may get larger and finer ber- 

 ries. But that is a question that we differ on. I cultivate from 

 the time they commence to grow. Just as soon as vegetation starts, 

 when the buds begin to swell and the new shoots to start up, 

 cultivation should be commenced. The shoots must be destroyed 

 as soon as possible, for they take from the bearing power of the 

 plants. Destroy them and throw the whole strength into the 

 plants. I think it better to destroy all plants except those that 

 you want for fruiting next year. Select two or three of the best 

 plants and let everything else go. After they begin to bear I 

 would go through them with a cultivator and cultivate them all 

 the time. As good a grower as I know follows that plan. Culti- 

 vation is better than mulching, for mulching holds them back. 

 They have got to have moisture, and if they are close together 

 they don't get it, but they will if placed further apart. 



Mr. Dean. I have not had much experience in cultivating 

 raspberries, but have a plan marked out that I thought of fol- 

 lowing. I want to get some light on the subject. I have a patch 

 of about two acres, and last summer I mulched them very heavily 

 with old hay, cornstalks, straw, and anything I could find. I 

 didn't allow anything to grow except the new shoots. After 

 berrying I took a plow and plowed against the row on each side. 

 This spring I intend to cultivate two or three times with a 

 shovel-plow. I would like to ask if anyone has had any exper- 

 ience that way. My soil is quite sandy. 



Mr. Pearce. I think Mr. Dean is right. I think raspberries 

 should be cultivated in the spring, plowing deep and leveling 

 the ground as soon as possible. If you are after early berries, 

 continue the cultivation without mulching. 



Mr. Gilpatrick. I think his plan is a good one. I would pre- 

 fer his plan to anything I have heard. , 



In answer to the question whether or not there was any danger 

 of getting the land too rich, Mr. Dean said there was no danger 

 if too many sprouts were not allowed to grow. 



