THE 





Vol. XII. 



AUGUST, 1889. 



No. 8. 



v^ZSs 



THE SHAFFER. 



;^^ERHAPS as fniit 

 growers we are in- 

 clined to judge of 

 all fruits too much 

 from a commercial 

 standpoint and to 

 give too little pro- 

 minence to varieties 

 that are commendable 

 for the home garden. 

 Every farmer in Ontario should have 

 a fruit garden for home use, and we 

 shall be advancing the end of our 

 Association as much by naming the 

 varieties suited for this purpose, as 

 by indicating those which are most 

 desirable for the market garden. 



The Shaffer is a purple berry and 

 a chance hybrid of the red and black 

 raspberries. It was found on the 

 farm of Mr. Shaffer, of Wheatland, 

 Munroe Co., N.Y., and was intro- 

 duced to the public by Mr. Chas. 

 Green, of Rochester. The bush 

 nuich resembles the red raspberry 

 in general habit of growth, but does 

 not send up suckers ; it is propagated 

 in the same manner as the blackcaps, 

 viz., by striking root at the tips. It 

 is a colossal grower, reaching up its 



huge canes six feet or more, and needs 

 to be cut back once or twice through 

 the season to keep it in hounds, and 

 to cause it to branch freelw The 

 size of the berry is considerably 

 above that of the Gregg black rasp- 

 berry, and often even larger than the 

 Cuthbert red, but if those on the table 

 before us, grown on our own fruit 

 farm, are a fair average, the colored 

 plate in this issue is overdrawn. It 

 is correct enough, however, in having 

 some twenty berries on a single fruit- 

 ing branch, and this gives some idea 

 of its productiveness, a strong point 

 in its favor ; but our own samples do 

 not average more than three (juarters 

 of an inch in diameter, whereas the 

 artist has made them to measure an 

 inch. Still it is quite possible that 

 in more favorable seasons and in 

 very rich soil the berries might 

 attain the full inch, as repre- 

 sented. The Shaffer is undoubtedly 

 one of the most desirable raspberries 

 for home use, for the following rea- 

 sons : (i) It is an excellent bearer, 

 continuing in season a long time. (2) 

 The quality is excellent, and con- 

 tinues to improve as long as it hangs 



