RASPBERRIES AXD CURRANTS. 



467 



tion. The suckers are allowed to spread 

 until a hedge-row is formed 30 to 36 inches' 

 wide, A space of three feet is maintained 

 between the rows. This system is conveni- 

 ent for working wnth a horse cultivator, and 

 specially adapted to growing between the 

 orchard trees. A suitable arrangement is 

 three rows of berries with the outside rows 

 nine feet from the trees. When the or- 

 chard-rows are 30 feet apart this gives satis- 

 faction, 



FERTILIZERS. 

 A fruit plantation needs plenty of ferti- 

 lizers. Some growers rely solely on the 

 commercial fertilizers. It is true that this 

 avoids weed seeds, but it also results in a 

 deficiency of humus and a compact surface 

 soil. \\^ood ashes and barnyard manure, 

 at least every two years, keeps the soil in 

 good condition if sufficient cultivating is 

 done. Shallow cultivation is best. ]Mr. 

 Sherrington used the plow in his plantation 

 one season and ruined the whole patch. The 

 roots gradually come near the surface and 

 plowing cuts the roots that supply the nour- 

 ishment. A one-horse cultivator, that 

 works the ground up two or three inches, 



used once a week, or oftener in dry weather, 

 was recommended. 



PRUNING. 



No summer pruning is done in ]\Ir. Sher- 

 rington's orchard, as such practise causes 

 late laterals and numerous suckers. If 

 there is time all the old wood is taken out 

 in the fall ; if not, this work is done in the 

 spring after the fruit trees have been 

 pruned. At the latter time, also, the canes 

 are cut back. Great judgment is required 

 in the distance to cut back. In some cases 

 the canes have made rank growth. If there 

 is a sufficient number of buds low down the 

 canes can be cut back much more severely 

 than if the buds are higher up. All canes 

 that are damaged by frosts are removed. 

 The canes are thinned out, leaving the 

 strongest ones four to six inches apart. 



From following such methods satisfac- 

 tory results were obtained during the past 

 season. From 2^^ rows, 300 feet long, in a 

 young apple orchard, about 3,600 boxes 

 were harvested, and the returns netted seven 

 cents a box. A(!cording to Mr. Sherring- 

 ton, a good yield is 3,000 to 4,000 boxes 

 from an acre. 



THE CURRANT PLANTATION 



^ EVERAL years" experience in the cul- 

 vT^ ture of currants have resulted in ]\Ir. 

 A. W. Peart, of Burlington, being classed 

 as an expert in the growing of that class of 

 fruit. Experiments have been carried on 

 by him at the Burlington station, and the 

 members of the Fruit Growers' Association 

 were given the benefit of his work along 

 that line in an interesting paper presented 

 at the annual convention of the Fruit Grow- 

 ers' Association last month. 



THE BEST SOIL. 



After years of testing, Mr. Peart has con- 

 cluded that a rich, moist, cool soil gives best 

 results. In case the soil is very fertile 

 satisfactory returns can be had among the 



orchard trees. When the bushes are 

 shaded there is not the liability to scald 

 that is found in the open, especially with the 

 red varieties. 



Better results are obtained from wide 

 planting. The distance apart depends on 

 the variety. As a rule the reds may go 

 closer than the blacks. For the average 

 plantation 6 x 6 or 6 x 7 is advisable. Fall 

 planting should never be practised unless 

 the soil is naturally well drained. If the 

 land is low and wet the plants heave and 

 are found lying on the surface in the spring 

 because they had not time to become estab- 

 lished before winter caused the growth to 

 cease. 



