CHAPTER XXIV 

 SMALL FRUITS 



THIS group includes the raspberry, blackberry, dewberry, 

 gooseberry, currant and others which are borne on plants some- 

 what bushlike in their habit of growth. These are true bush fruits. 



Strawberries and grapes are less commonly spoken of as small 

 fruits, but are sometimes included here. 



Raspberries are of two main types: (1) The true blackcap 

 varieties, such as Kansas, Black Diamond, Gregg and others. 

 (2) The red and yellow varieties. The red varieties are Cuthbert, 

 Miller and Marlboro. A good yellow variety is Golden Queen. 



Blackcap raspberries are chiefly propagated by tip layering, 

 as described in an earlier chapter. They grow on any good, well- 

 drained loam. They respond well to heavy applications of manure, 

 and much well rotted organic matter in the soil is beneficial. The 

 berries are borne on shoots arising from canes only one year old. 

 As these same canes usually do not bear a crop more than one 

 year, they should be removed by pruning them away as soon as 

 the crop is picked. New canes are formed each year for the crop 

 of the following season. In wet seasons and in fertile soils .the new 

 canes may make a very rapid growth and should be clipped back 

 to cause them to produce more branches, and later form more 

 fruit clusters. 



The soil should be well tilled between the rows until late in 

 the season. About August or September a cover crop may be 

 started in the middles. This should not be sown too close to the 

 rows, as it will be difficult to remove the plants the following spring. 

 Each spring the winter cover may be turned under or disked under 

 as green manure. The rows are usually planted four or five feet 

 apart to allow room for tillage. 



Red raspberries send up many suckers and are propagated by 

 plowing or digging these up to be used in setting new grounds. 

 They may also be propagated by root cuttings. The pruning for 

 red raspberries consists chiefly in cutting out the oldest canes 

 from each cluster. The highest canes may also be cut back in early 

 spring. 



Blackberries are widely grown in America. Good varieties 

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