Small and Bush Fruits: Raspberries 159 



RASPBERRIES 



i. CULTIVATION 



The Raspberry (Rubus Idceus), after the Gooseberry, Currant, and 

 Strawberry, constitutes one of the most important market-garden crops. 

 It differs in growth considerably from all other tree and bush fruits in 

 that it bears its fruit on stems or "canes" of one season's growth, which 

 naturally die away in the winter, never to live again. As a rule the 

 young canes when developing bear five leaflets, but the next year, when 

 fruiting, only bear three leaflets. 



According to the returns of the Board of Agriculture there are about 

 9000 ac. of Raspberries grown in Great Britain, by far the larger portion 

 being in England (6679 ac.), Scotland having 2326 ac., of which over 

 1700 ac. are in Perthshire. The industry here has been dealt with in 

 the article on "Fruit Growing in Scotland" at p. 33. In England the 

 largest Raspberry-growing counties are Kent, 2291 ac.; Norfolk, 909 ac.; 

 Cambridge, 648 ac.; and Middlesex, 328 ac. Yorkshire, Cornwall, Essex, 

 Worcester, Devon, and Lincolnshire come next, varying from 222 ac. in 

 the first-named to 149 ac. in the last. 



Ireland is practically without Raspberries at present, only about 420 ac. 

 being given for the whole country, while Wales has only 45 ac. of Rasp- 

 berries to its credit. [j. w.] 



Raspberries are surface-rooting plants that like light land, though they 

 will not do better on thin soil that cannot hold some moisture than they 

 will on land that is stiff and clayey. The method of planting is to 

 place two yearling canes in a cut made by a spade, 18 in. apart in the 

 rows and 5 ft. apart from row to row. The young canes should be cut 

 down to 9 in. before growing time begins. During the summer they will 

 throw up "spawn", i.e. young shoots, which become the fruiting wood 

 for next year. For the first year these will be weak and bear little, 

 but if the soil and cultivations are suitable they will become stronger 

 and more numerous each year, until by the third year they are able to 

 carry a crop of appreciable quantity. Raspberries like a good quantity 

 of potash (see "Manures", Vol. I., p. 158), and pay for a topdressing of 

 stable manure every fourth year. Do not dig among the roots more 

 than is absolutely necessary. 



The method of pruning is to cut out the last year's wood, thin out 

 the young canes where too numerous to five or six, and then top accord- 

 ing to strength of growth. Where the growth is vigorous, some system 

 of tying the canes must be adopted, or else they will bend down with 

 the weight of fruit, and it will draggle in the dirt. At Blairgowrie a 

 system of strained wires is adopted, which has a very neat and workman- 

 like appearance, and, though of considerable initial cost, must last a long 

 time, when once done, without further expense. Sometimes the canes 



