THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



form a new stand of canes between each 

 two plants set ; all others should be 

 treated as weeds and cut out. This 

 distance allows ample room for horse 

 cultivation, and economy of time and 

 labor is of more importance to the gen- 

 eral farmer than a few additional rods of 

 land. Before setting the plants the 

 roots should be immersed in a pail of 

 water, and this will cause the fine loose 

 earth to adhere to them, when they will 

 start growth much more readily. The 

 holes for the plants should be made suf- 

 ficiently large and deep to admit the 

 fibrous roots without crowding, and the 

 soil should be firmly compacted about 

 the canes. This firming of the soil is an 

 important point in setting out all kinds 

 of plants or tree*!. The first season a 

 row of low growing vegetable such as 

 potatoes or beans may be grown to ad- 

 vantage beween each two rows of the 

 bushes. Frequent shallow cultivation 

 should be given, and especially after 

 showers of rain, as this will form an 

 earth mulch which will serve to check 

 evaporation and assist in retaining mois- 

 ture. About the first of September, or 



Fig. 1302 — Untrimmed Bush. 



Fig. 1303.— Trimmed Bush. 



soon after the vegetables have been 

 harvested, the ground should be lightly 

 ridged up to the plants with a one horse 

 plow, leaving a furrow between each two 

 rows of bushes. This protects the roots 

 of the plants during the wintertime and 

 allows all surface water to flow rapidly 

 away. 



I shall describe the method 

 we use in pruning the bushes. 

 In the charts Fig. 1302 repre- 

 sents a bush of the blackcap 

 variety which has been left 

 untrimmed. You will notice 

 that the canes have grown 

 very tall and spreading, and 

 if left in this form they would 

 prove a great drawback to 

 cultivation and gathering the 

 fruit, which would also be 

 much soiled by drooping to 

 the ground when the canes 

 are heavily laden. Tying the 

 canes to stakes is sometimes 

 resorted to, but this is im- 

 practicable vhen a large acie 



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