242 SUCCESS WITH SMALL FRUITS. 



rampant grower on good soil, but the foliage, so far from 

 being rank and large, is delicate, and the under side of the 

 leaves has a light, silvery hue. After once getting hold of 

 the soil, it suckers immoderately, but is no worse in this 

 respect than other vigorous varieties ; and this tendency 

 rapidly declines after the second year. Is it perfectly hardy ? 

 No ; and I do not know of a single good raspberry that is ; 

 except, perhaps, the Turner, which, however, is inferior to 

 the Cuthbert. I have seen the latter badly winter-killed, 

 but it had stood eight years on the same ground without 

 injury before. Then, because of a rank growth late in the 

 season, that especial patch was hit hard, while other fields, 

 but a few miles away, were unharmed. If planted on well- 

 drained soil, where the wood could ripen well, I think it 

 would be injured very rarely, if ever ; but I have no faith in 

 talk about " perfectly hardy raspberries." Those who ob- 

 serve closely will often find our hardy native species killed 

 to the ground, and I think many varieties suffer more from 

 the mild, variable winters of the Middle States than from the 

 steady cold and sno^vy winters of the North. Moreover, 

 any variety that has not the power of maintaining a healthy 

 foliage through the hot season will usually be too feeble to 

 resist the winter following. The question of hardiness can 

 often be settled better in August than in January. One of 

 the most hopeful features of the Cuthbert, therefore, is its 

 tough, sun-enduring foliage, which enables the wood to ripen 

 perfectly. It has never received winter protection thus far, 

 either in this region or in Michigan, where it is largely 

 raised, but it may be found necessary to shield it somewhat 

 in some localities. It is both absurd and dishonest to claim 

 perfection for a fruit, and the Cuthbert, especially as it 

 grows ' older and loses something of its pristine vigor, will, 

 probably, like all other varieties, develop faults and weak- 



