RASPBERRY 



RASPBERRY 



2913 



and ripening do the plants need the large supply of 

 moisture that frequent cultivation conserves. 



Training and pruning. 



In training the red raspberries when the plants are 

 set by the hill system, a stake is usually placed by each 

 plant before the second year's growth begins and the 

 year-old canes tied to it (Fig. 3347). This allows the 

 new canes to grow up outside the old ones and makes 

 picking easier. When the solid-row 

 system is used, several methods of 

 training are practised. (1) When 

 the plants are vigorous but do 

 not grow very tall, the suckers are 

 allowed to grow up between the 

 plants in the row, while those 

 between the rows are destroyed 

 by frequent cultivation (Fig. 

 3348). No pruning is required. 



(2) When the canes grow very 

 long, they are not pruned until 

 spring and then are sometimes 

 cut back to a height of about 3 

 feet in order that the cane may 

 support its crop of fruit. Weaker 

 canes are removed at this time. 



(3) Instead of cutting the canes 

 back as described above, they are 



often trained to trellises in the following 

 ways: (a) A trellis is made by stretching a 

 wire on posts set about 30 feet apart in the 

 row. The old canes are tied to this wire to 

 keep them upright when ripening their fruit 

 (Fig. 3349) . Two wires, one above the other, 

 are sometimes used in making this kind of trel- 

 lis and the canes either tied in an erect position to both 

 wires (Fig. 3350), or they are arched over the upper wire 

 and tied to the lower (Fig. 3351). When tied in an 

 erect position, those portions of the canes projecting 

 more than 6 inches above the wire are pruned off. 

 (b) The trellis is often made by stretching two wires 

 along the line of posts from the ends of crosspieces 

 about 15 inches in length (Fig. 3352). The old and 

 new canes are kept between the wires and out of the 

 way when the cultivating is done. Sometimes the old 

 canes are tied to the wires, half of them being tied to 

 the wire on one side and hah" to the wire on the other 

 side (Fig. 3353). The young canes then come up 

 between the old canes and wUl be out of the way of 

 pickers and cultivators. Many variations of the above 

 systems are in use. 



described above under (a). 



The old fruiting canes of all types of raspberries 

 should be cut out and taken from the field immediately 

 after the crop is picked. Some fruit is usually secured 

 the second year after planting, often enough to pay the 

 entire cost of cultivation for that year. The duration 

 of the plantation depends on the varieties, the care, the 

 locality, and the practice of the grower. 



Some growers of the black raspberries harvest one 



3354. Crate of Cuthbert red raspberries. 



The above systems are applicable to the red rasp- 

 berries. The black and purple varieties do not sucker 

 and are usually trained as follows: The tips of the young 

 canes are pinched back when they are about 2^2 feet 

 from the ground. This causes them to branch and form 

 bushes better able to support a heavy crop of fruit. If 

 the side branches grow very long, they are pruned back 

 in the spring to a length of 6 to 18 inches. Sometimes a 

 trellis is made and they are trained on the system 



3355. Cuthbert raspberry to show 

 habit of fruit-bearing. ( X M) 



crop and then plow the plantation 

 up; most persons keep the fields 

 for two or three crops, and still 

 others gather six to eight crops 

 before destroying the planta- 

 tion. The red raspberry fields are 

 usually fruited longer than are 

 those of the black raspberry. 

 Growers generally plan to secure 

 eight to ten crops from a field. 

 Yields from fields receiving good 

 treatment will vary from 50 to 150 bushels to the acre, 

 depending upon the locality, the soil, and the variety 

 grown. 



In many northern and western sections, varieties 

 are grown that require winter protection. This is best 

 secured by drawing the soil from one side of the row 

 of plants, using either hoes or a plow, inclining the 

 canes to that side, and covering them entirely with 

 earth about 2 inches deep. The canes are left as late 

 as possible in the spring before uncovering. When the 

 buds begin to start, the canes are forced into an erect 

 position. 



Picking and handling. 



Raspberries should be harvested as carefully as pos- 

 sible in order to avoid injuring them. The subsequent 

 behavior of the berries on the market depends in a large 

 measure on the care used in picking and handling. 

 Berries injured or bruised in handling, or soft from being 

 over-ripe, or from rainy weather, are quickly attacked 

 by certain mold fungi which cause their decay. To 

 avoid as much injury as possible, three fingers should 

 always be used in picking; very few berries should be 

 held in the hand at one time, to avoid mashing them; 

 the berries should always be placed, not dropped, into 

 the basket or cup; all decaying, over-ripe, and injured 

 berries should be discarded and no later handling of 

 the berries in the baskets allowed. The crates should be 

 hauled on spring wagons to avoid jolting and neither 

 the berries nor the crates containing them should be 

 exposed to the sun. Pint baskets should be used in har- 

 vesting red varieties and either pint or quart baskets for 

 the black and purple varieties. (Fig. 3354.) In Pacific 

 Coast regions a basket, or "cup" as it is called there, 

 holding a pound of berries, is commonly employed. 



