426 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



seen and should be removed and burnt. 

 The small green larvae of the raspberry saw- 

 fly are frequently injurious to the foliage. 

 These can be destroyed by an application of 

 hellebore, one ounce to three gallons, or 

 with Paris green. Of diseases, the two 

 worst are anthracnose and root ox crown gall. 

 The former, a fungus disease, attacks all 

 parts of the plant above ground, showing 

 on the young canes in grey blotches and 

 discolorations, leading to weakness of the 

 cane, which sometimes dies before fruiting, 

 or on which the fruit is poor and shrivelled. 

 Bordeaux mixture will assist in checking 

 this disease, but it is well in small planta- 

 tions to at once root out and destroy all 

 sickly canes. 



The cause of root or crown galls is very 

 obscure, and one can only advise the rejec- 

 tion and burning of all plants so affected at 

 pl.anting time. 



The Blackberry. 



Much of what has been said as to neces- 

 sary conditions in successful raspberry cul- 

 ture is equally true in its application to the 

 culture of blackberries. The hardy, vigor- 

 ous nature of the plant enables it to survive 

 under very unfavorable conditions, and for 

 this reason sufficient attention is not always 

 given to its real needs. It will thrive on a 

 heavier soil than the raspberry, but moisture 

 is essential, and if the soil is not deep and 

 porous it will be necessary to make it so by 

 underdraining. Ripening late in the sea- 

 son, drouth is usually its worst enemy, and 

 must be fought by proper drainage and cul- 

 tivation if the magnificent possibilities of 

 this fruit are to be realized. The blackber- 

 ry, especially when in full bearing, will am- 

 ply repay liberal treatment in the matter of 

 manure. Propagation is by means of suck- 

 ers. Planting may be done in the fall if a 

 thorough covering is put on the newly set 

 plants for the winter. In the spring plant- 

 ing, the last year's growths should be dug 



FIGQJ A r^o/^AS 



and planted as early as possible, so as to 

 give every chance for the production of ^oo(\ 

 canes in the second year. Some of the most 

 successful growers practice the hill method 

 of culture, planting some seven feet each 

 way. When in rows, eight feet between 

 the rows and three feet between the plants 

 is advisable. For the first two years, hoe 

 crops may be put between the rows. As 

 the rows fill out, and a larger number of 

 suckers are produced, it will pay to reduce 

 the numbers through the growing season by 

 cultivation and hoeing. From the grower's 

 point of view a superabundance of suckers 

 may be regarded simply as weeds, robbing 

 the plants of both moisture and food. In 

 gardens, and where the ground is likely to 

 become very dry or hard towards fruiting 

 time, a pretty heavy mulching will yield ex- 

 cellent results. Summer pruning is abso- 

 lutely necessary if a strong compact hedge 

 is to be formed. The young plants should- 

 be pinched back when from two to three 

 feet high ; the cane will produce a number 

 of vigorous laterals, which should be pruned 

 back the following spring to about eighteen 

 inches in length. Stress must be laid on 

 the necessity for this early pinching back. 

 Fig. 96-91 in the chapter on the raspberry 

 shows the difference between the early and 

 the late pinching back process. A top- 

 heavy, awkward lot of canes will be the re- 

 sult of deferring this work, to say nothing 

 of an undue amount of broken canes, 

 scratched hands and torn dresses. Fig. 

 91 A shows the neat, compact and properly 

 pruned bush, and Fig. 92 a neglected cane. 



