286 PLAIN AND PLEASANT TALK 



RASPBERRIES, STRAWBERRIES, GOOSEBERRIES AND CURRANTS. 



CURRANTS, Gooseberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, etc., 

 are termed &quot; Small Fruit.&quot; We will give some directions 

 for spring-work which these require, 



RASPBERRIES. The sorts usually found in our gardens are 

 rejected from all good collections as worthless. The Ant 

 werp, red and white, have, until lately, been regarded as 

 the best. Two new kinds are very highly thought of 

 the Franconia and the Fastolf. This last is an Eng 

 lish variety ; was found growing on a gentleman s ground 

 among some lime and brick rubbish evidently a seedling 

 and removed to his garden. It was a number of years 

 before it attracted attention ; but, lately, it has been much 

 in demand and bids fair to claim a rank among the first, if 

 it is not the first. 



A deep, rich, loamy soil which is moist, proves best for 

 this fruit. It prefers a half shady position. 



When first planted, put them four feet apart in the row, 

 and the rows three feet from each other. 



In old beds cut out the last year s bearing wood, now 

 worthless, and also all the new shoots but four or five to a 

 root ; grub up all that have come up between the rows. 

 Cut those which are reserved for bearing to about five feet 

 in length, and tie them gently to a stake. Thus treated 

 from year to year, and well manured, raspberries will return 

 a rich reward. 



STRAWBERRIES. The number of kinds is immense. Knight, 

 late president of the London Horticultural Society, had/bw 

 hundred kinds in his garden, and most of them seedlings of 

 his own raising. The early Virginia is regarded as the 

 best early kind. Hovey s, Warren s and Keen s seedlings 

 are admirable sorts. Wiley s and Motter s seedlings ori 

 ginated in Cincinnati and arc esteemed. There are many 

 other fine sorts which an amateur cultivator would wish, 



