The Cntiadian Horticulturist. 



305 



SEASONABLE HINTS FOR FRUIT GROWERS. 



WINTER PROTECTION. 



IN our report tor 1888, page 15, 

 some reference is made to the 

 protection of raspberry bushes ; and 

 the mode tiiat is practised in the Otta- 

 wa valley is described. The canes are 

 allowetl to grow as long as possible 

 without cutting back, in order tliat 

 they may be easily bent to the ground 

 and held down with sods or a long 

 pole or rail, laid over the tops in 

 such a way that the snow will collect 

 over tliem and afford a perfect pro- 

 tection. The objection w'e would 

 have to this mode of training lies in 

 the difficulty of cultivation with such 

 long sprawling arms, and the loss of 

 bearing wood which must result from 

 cutting them in the spring. In the 

 Wisconsin State Horticultural So. 

 ciet3"s Report we find another plan 

 recommended which appears to be 

 preferable for cold sections, and give 

 the extract describing it, with an 

 illustration which helps to make it 

 plain. 



The Ripon people have been ver) 

 successful in the practice of laying 

 Raspberry and Blackberr}- bushes 

 down for winter protection. Their 

 way of laying them down is by the 

 help of a plow, which is run close 

 alongside the row, the dirt being 

 thrown away from the row. Tiie 

 surplus wood is removed from the 

 bushes. 



A man follows the plow with a 

 spade and after loosening up the 

 earth about the roots on the side to- 

 wards the furrow lie pushes the 

 plants down and covers the top with 

 earth. The roots are like ropes and 

 will n. it Incak. Mr. Plumb thinks 



that this is the most economical way 

 of protecting Blackberries. Mr, 

 Stone's great success with Blackber- 

 ries was accomplished on poor land. 

 The manure and the cultivation were 

 applied early in the season, and in 

 that way strong canes were secured 

 before winter. He thinks we should 

 take the best protection for the bush- 

 es that we can get. The plowing 

 between the rows does not materially 

 increase the number of suckers. The 

 plowing may be done as near as pos- 

 sible to the bush and no injury will 

 result, 



Mr, Tuttle stated that his Black- 

 berries had been killed above ground 



Fig, 75. — Protection ot Blackberries. 



last winter, owing to their not being 

 protected. Mr, Hoxie was opposed 

 to the State Society any longer giv- 

 ing countenance to the assertion that 

 the Snyder and Stone's Hardy black- 

 berries will do without protection. 

 Mr, Plumb stated that he advised a 

 neighbor, who was planting a patch 

 of Blackberries, to keep them cut 

 back to one foot. The neighbor kept 

 them cut below two feet, and they 

 proved a success, Mr. Tuttle stated 

 that he had tried the same plan but 

 met with no success, Mr, JeflVies 

 had pinched the Stone's Hardy back, 



