244 POPULAR FRUIT GROWING. 



the feet at the same time. The rows should preferably run 

 north and south, for planted in this way the fruit is shaded 

 by the new growth during the hottest part of the day during 

 the period of ripening. Some garden crop may be grown between 

 the rows the first year. 



Depth to plant. Black cap raspberry plants should be set 

 about the same depth in the soil as they naturally grew. The 

 roots should be carefully spread and the soil well firmed over 

 them. The suckering kinds should be planted a little deeper 

 than they naturally grew and be well firmed in. 



Cultivation. The soil should be kept loose with a horse cul- 

 tivator and the rows free from weeds. If the land gets hard 

 the one-horse plow may be used but the land should be kept 

 flat and as free from ridges as possible. Frequent shallow 

 cultivation, especially in a dry time, is important. 



Pruning and thinning. Not more than two shoots should 

 be permitted to grow from each root the first year. The second 

 and succeeding years the suckering kinds will produce a lot of 

 sprouts all around the hill; four or five of those nearest the hill 

 should be allowed to grow and the rest treated as weeds. If 

 a great lot of these suckers are allowed to remain, but little 

 fruit will be produced. Black cap raspberries will this year 

 send up a half dozen or so of sprouts at the base of the old 

 plants, and enough of these should be removed to allow the re- 

 mainder to properly develop. All these sprouts should be 

 pinched once when from twelve to eighteen inches high, if they 

 are to be grown without a trellis. As soon as the fruit has been 

 gathered the old canes which have borne fruit the current year 

 should be cut out and destroyed. In the spring the suckering 

 kinds need no pruning, but the lateral canes of the black cap 

 varieties should be shortened back to twelve or fifteen inches, 

 and the main cane shortened perhaps one-third its length. This 

 is very important, as the branches of this kind are so slender 

 that they will bend to the ground and break under the weight 

 of fruit unless severely pruned, or they may set more fruit than 

 they can mature and the whole be lost. When pruned in this 

 manner the fruit will be much larger and the plant will yield 

 fully as much fruit as if all the canes were left their whole length. 



