THP; CANADIAN HORTICULI TRIST. 



181 



during the season of" growth, when 

 about three feet high ; otherwise they 

 may grow to seven or eight feet, as I 

 have seen tliem grow, necessitating the 

 cutting away of too much wood in the 

 spring. Treat suckers between the row^s 

 as you would weeds, unless you want 

 plants ; cut them out wlien young and 

 tender. Sprouts, or suckers, are a 

 gieat annoyance in growing red rasp- 

 V>ernes. If taken in time, they need 

 scarcely any care. Red lasjtberries, to 

 do their best, must be kejjt in hills, 

 same as black. This can be done by 

 cutting away with a sharp hoe all 

 sj (routs, when young, between the hills 

 in the rows, allowing from four to 

 eight canes in the hill. Many growers 

 allow them to grow all along the rows, 

 although not too thickly. 



OLD CANES. 



There is a diffei'ence of opinion among 

 ■aspberry gi'oweis as to the best time 

 to cut away the old or bearing canes. 

 I have ti'ied both methods, namely : 

 letting the old canes remain all winter 

 and cutting them in spring, or cutting 

 them as soon as I can find time after 

 fruiting, carrying out and burning 

 them. I am satisfied that by adopting 

 the latter method, I destroy many noxi- 

 ous insects, woims in vaiious stages of 

 life, that -would live over winter were 

 I to practice the other system. It is 

 argued that the leaf of the old cane has 

 much to do in the growth of the canes 

 that are to bear fruit the following 

 season. I take no stock in that opin- 

 ion. If youi- plants are in gcod condi- 

 tion there will be leaf enough on the 

 young canes to mature them without 

 the assistance of the leaf of the old 

 canes that have already performed their 

 functions by maturing the crop of ber- 

 ries just gathered. Then, again, the 

 old canes are certainly not ornamental. 

 Having an eye for the beautiful as well 

 as the useful, I get rid of them as soon 



as I can after the fruit has been gath- 

 ered. 



TYING UP CANES. 



For a long time I advocated and 

 practiced the tying up of canes, first 

 to stakes, then to an ii'on wire stretched 

 along the rows fastened to posts every 

 25 to 30 feet. Either of the systems I 

 found expensive, and slow work. It 

 did well enough when I had but an 

 acre or two, and did not know any 

 better. But when I had many acres I 

 found it was not the thing to do. especi- 

 ally so Avhen I learned that stakes and 

 wire Avere of no use, I might say 

 entirely unnecessary. I cannot help 

 but sym[)athize with those who are so 

 fiir behind the times as to follow that 

 system now. By adopting the pinch- 

 ing back process at the proper time. I 

 save the expense of stakes, or posts 

 and wire, and the time necessary to tie 

 the canes to them, and raise as mai y 

 bushels of as nice berries per acre, as I 

 did when I followed the old system. 



GATHERING BERRIES. 



i liave often been asked how I man- 

 age the many hands necessary to pick 

 my berries to have the job well done, 

 and to haA'e them continue to the end. 

 First. I live near a large city — Dayton, 

 Ohio — (too near to save a large part of 

 my apples and pears) and can get all 

 the pickers I need, and my system is 

 as follows : I use a stand with a handle, 

 holding four quart baskets to pick into. 

 Each picker is given a stand and a 

 basket holder, which holds one quart 

 basket. This holder is tied around the 

 waist, enabling the women, girls and 

 boys to use both hands in picking. 

 Thus equipped, they are put two to a 

 row, one on each side. I have a trusty 

 man to be with them continually ; his 

 business is, first to see that they pick 

 none but ripe fruit ; second, that they 

 pick all that are ripe ; third, that they 

 do not damage the berries or canes ; 



