416 CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



Black Mulberry of Spain. All these bear large and desirable fruit. The 

 last named, introduced by Felix Gillett, of Nevada City, is grown quite 

 widely. The mulberry has a long season ; the Persian ripens in Tulare 

 the last of May and continuously thereafter until October. 



THE RASPBERRY 



The raspberry is another of the great small fruits of California. It 

 thrives over a great area of the state ; in fact, there are few situations 

 in which it can not be grown with at least a measure of success if 

 proper attention is given to retention of moisture in the surface soil, 

 and to giving the plants partial shade in the heated valleys, and the 

 cooler exposures in the foothills. The raspberry, skillfully pruned and 

 generously fed and cared for, is almost a constant bearer, as has already 

 been intimated. It is a continual delight in the home garden, and al- 

 ways brings a high average rate in local and metropolitan markets. 



The culture of the raspberry is in the main like that of the black- 

 berry, as already described. The red varieties, which are the kinds al- 

 most exclusively grown in this State, are propagated by suckers and 

 root cuttings like the blackberry, but the "black caps" are propagated 

 by layering the cane tips during the growing season, and this method 

 is also necessary in the Loganberry and other blackberry-raspberry 

 hybrids. Bending down a cane with its branches and covering lightly 

 with soil and with a light mulch to retain moisture, will result in free 

 rooting of the buried parts, and one can sometimes secure a dozen 

 plants by the layering of a single cane with its laterals. 



The pruning of the raspberry is also by the renewal system, as ad- 

 vised for the blackberry. The topping off of new canes, when they 

 reach about three feet in height, the subsequent pinching of the laterals 

 which are thus forced out, the resolute thinning out of sprouts so that 

 but three or four strong canes are allowed from one root, the faithful 

 repression of all weeds, the maintenance of a loose surface layer of the 

 soil by very shallow cultivation, the free application of manure and of 

 water unless a continually moist condition near the surface can be se- 

 cured by cultivation and mulching all these are among the essentials 

 of cultivation which will secure abundant fruit and a long bearing sea- 

 son. However, as has already been stated with regard to blackberries, 

 there are large plantations which pursue a less careful system of culti- 

 vation especially in the moderate heat and drouth of the coast district. 



Continuous bearing of the raspberry may be secured in those varie- 

 ties which endure the treatment, by cutting out a cane as soon as its 

 fruit is gathered, the force of the plant being then devoted to the fruit- 

 ing of a second cane, which has previously been pinched, and a third 

 shoot is pinched and allowed to mature its wood to carry over and bear 

 the first crop of the following year. A succession of sprouts is gained 

 by pinching off the tips of some as soon as they have grown up a few 

 inches, which results in the growth of later shoots lower on the stems. 

 In this way a succession of fruit is obtained. 



The Cuthbert and other strong-growing varieties, after the pinching 

 at about three feet from the ground, will send out laterals which will 



