CHAP. XIII VILLA OARDENING 307 



in the i:)lauts to grow good canes for the following year. When 

 brought into a system of rotation the Raspberry is much more 

 manageable than when allowed to continue for long periods on one 

 piece of ground. It is very important that the young canes be 

 thinned out to a reasonable number in summer. In all systems of 

 training or management this should be done. 



Raspberries in Autumn. — The autumn-bearing kinds should 

 be cut down to the ground every winter, as they bear on the young 

 wood. If the old canes are left they will probably lose their 

 autumn-bearing character, because the crop which the old canes 

 would bear in summer would exhaust them. The autumn-bearing 

 Raspberries should be planted on a dry warm site, but the soil 

 should be deep and in good condition. They may be planted in 

 rows from 4 to 5 feet apart, and 2 feet from each other in the 

 row. On some soils they do not need support, as the growth 

 made is short -jointed, and strong. The best crop of autumn 

 Raspberries I have ever seen were in Norfolk, on rather sandy 

 soil. I have the same varieties in Hunts, but they do not reach 

 the same excellence. 



Varieties. — For Summer : Carter's Prolific, Cornwall's Vic- 

 toria, Falstaff, Semper Fidelis, Red Antwerp, Yellow Antwerp. 

 For Autmnn: Belle de Fontenay, October Red, October Yellow. 



Blackberries. — Of late years the American Blackberries have 

 attracted some attention, and probably are destined to win more 

 favour when better known and understood. It is true they have 

 not up to the present time succeeded everywhere, but hitherto they 

 have scarcely had a fair trial. To do them justice they require 

 a considerable depth of good soil and plenty of room to ramble ; 

 they also need supports. The best way to train and manage them 

 is to create a special site, manuring it well and digging it deeply. 

 When the plants get strong (which will not be the first year), 

 erect a fence to train them 8 feet or so high. A mulching of 

 manure will be beneficial when they bear freely. Plant 2 feet 

 apart. They are best planted in single rows in some sunny posi- 

 tion, and may be used to form a boundary screen in a situation 

 not too conspicuous. They are easily propagated by suckers and 

 layers. The Lawson is the best-known variety at the present, 

 but others will doubtless be introduced or raised. It is liable to 

 injury from late frosts, but the same risks have to be run in the 

 case of all hardy open-air fruits. Om- own native Blackberries 

 might be much improved by cultivation. 



