266 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Avoid witch grass land. Grow a cultivated crop the pre- 

 vious year upon the land. 



Location — Almost any gentle slope will be found satis- 

 factory. A north slope with a cool soil is preferable. 



Elevation — This is rather unimportant, as blossoms and 

 fruit come at a time when there is no danger from frost. 



Shade — The raspberry revels in shade and therefore 

 the orchard makes an ideal spot. 



Propagation — Obtain your first stock with great care. 

 Go and see before you buy. Establish your own nursery as 

 soon as possible. Root gall is one of the worst enemies and 

 too great care cannot be taken to keep it out of the planta- 

 tion. 



Time of Setting Out — 'Set out in the spring. If set in 

 the fall the frost is very likely to heave them out of the 

 ground. 



Spacing — Set the rows six feet apart and plant eighteen 

 inches in the row. Establish a hedge row as soon as possi- 

 ble. Get the rows perfectly straight by marking out the land 

 and turning out a furrow. Drop the plants and firm the 

 earth around them well. 



Cultivation — ^Continue cultivation each year up to the 

 middle or the last of August. 



Fertilization — The previous crop should be extra well 

 fertilized. Put a good dressing of manure in the hedge row 

 in the fall. Nitrate of soda, basic slag, and muriate of pot- 

 ash are the commercial materials to use. 



Cover Crops — ^After stopping cultivation sow a crop' 

 consisting of % peck of oats and a like amount of barley. 

 This will make a good growth in the fall, serve as an ex- 

 cellent mulch in the winter and will die in the spring giving 

 no trouble. No suitable legume has yet been found for this 

 purpose. In the spring round down and back in the middle 

 of the row with the plow set light and turn the furrows to- 

 gether. This gives a good amount of loose earth to start 

 with. Plow three inches deep and cultivate two and one-half 

 inches deep. 



