The Planting of the Fruit-Farm 107 



is a profitable crop but requires patience and what 

 Napoleon called "the ignominious love of details. " 

 On a fruit-farm it is most desirable to raise early 

 fruits, — those that market in June, July, August, 

 rather than in October and November. It is most 

 desirable to get off fruit in good weather; to clear 

 up the year's work as early as possible. Straw- 

 berries, raspberries, and cherries come early and are 

 soon off the grower's hands. He gets his returns 

 early in the season and is thus enabled to meet 

 later expenses. 



Raspberries, black or red, and of the red, the 

 earlier or the later, properly set out, will run, as a 

 crop, for a dozen years, barring destruction by 

 blight, rust, and winter-killing. The ideal thing 

 is to secure and to maintain highly vigorous 

 plants. Raspberries bear the third year and usu- 

 ally regularly. Light, gravel, well-drained soil kept 

 rich and moist produces fruit. But gravel land 

 may dry out in May and June, or amidst picking 

 time, and a heavier soil, a clay loam is better. No 

 crop responds better to timely rains, which means 

 that the root needs much moisttire. This indi- 

 cates the proper care of the raspberry patch : keep 

 it well worked, stir the soil, irrigate with the cul- 

 tivator. Nitrate of soda hurries up the growth 

 of the canes, but barnyard manure or the best 

 commercial substitute keeps the plant in vigor. 

 The old canes must be cut out after the crop is 

 picked. Running the cultivator through the patch 

 during a drouth, whether or not the fruit is picked, 



