RASPBEBBY. 143 



may be covered at a cost not exceeding fifteen dollar*. 

 The plants should not be covered until the approach of 

 cold weather, usually deferring the operation as long as it 

 can be with safety. If the canes are covered while the 

 weather is warm, or before they are fully ripe, they will 

 decay. 



In the spring, after all danger of severe freezing is past, 

 take up the canes by passing a fork under them, gently 

 lifting and shaking off the soil. Drive down the stakes 

 and tie the canes to them as before. Cut off all dead and 

 broken canes, and shorten all others. When the canes are 

 rery tall, a foot or more may be pruned off with benefit to 

 that which remains. All side or lateral branches should 

 be shortened at least one-half, and sometimes if two-thirds 

 of their length were cut away, it would be still better. 



GARDEN CULTURE. 



The same general systems adapted to field culture are 

 also applicable to the garden, but usually more care will be 

 bestowed upon a few plants than upon a larger number. 

 When only a few are grown, they may be watered, or the 

 ground covered with a mulch, either of which operations 

 will assist very much in the full development of the fruit. 



The plants may also be allowed to bear the first season, 

 if fruit is very desirable, for by giving extra care, new 

 canes for the next year may be produced from the same 

 root, besides supporting the fruiting cane. It is, however, 

 the safest plan to set three or four plants in a hill, and cut 

 one or two of them down to the ground, and leave the 

 others with canes about two feet long. Sometimes quite 

 a large crop will be produced on plants set in spring, and 

 though it usually prevents the root throwing up suckers 

 strong enough to bear the ensuing year, still, with plants 

 that cost but a few cents each, there is nothing lost even 

 they die outright after fruiting. With those who are 

 just commencing a garden, it is sometimes quite an object to 



