BLACKBERRIES AND RASPBERRIES. 71 



follows the strawberry, the cultivation of which has ))een some- 

 what neglected of late years. It is not a difficult fruit to grow, 

 easier, if possible, than the strawberry, requiring less hand work, 

 for more can be done in keeping the plantation clean by horse 

 power. The flavor of this fruit is very agreeable to all, and it 

 commands a ready sale. The red varieties are the best, and 

 they require to be laid down in the winter to insure a crop. A 

 rich, strong soil is best adapted to their culture. They are 

 usually grown in hills or stools, planted some four or five feet 

 apart each way. They should be planted in the spring on land 

 well prepared. When planted, the canes should be cut down to 

 the surface, otherwise they may fruit the first year, and exhaust 

 the plant so that no new shoots will be developed for the next 

 year. Once planted, they will last for several years, if properly 

 cared for. There are several of the black varieties which are 

 extensively cultivated in some of the States, but the varieties 

 most seen in our markets are the Franconia and Knevett's 

 Giant. The Clarke is a new and very promising sort, and one 

 well worthy a trial. It is a strong grower, and said to be quite 

 hardy. A good crop of this fruit will prove as profitable as the 

 strawberry. The raspberry is succeeded by the currant, goose- 

 berry and blackberry. The former is an excellent fruit, and a 

 very healthful one. We find on almost every homestead in the 

 land a few currant bushes, though generally of the old dis- 

 carded varieties. During the sultry days of August, when 

 one's appetite fails for the ordinary articles of food, the currant, 

 with its peculiar acid, toned down by plenty of sugar, becomes 

 very agreeable to the palate. It is valuable, because it can be 

 used in so many ways, and it lasts so long on the bushes. No 

 fruit will give better returns for the labor bestowed on its cul- 

 tivation. A plantation once properly made is good for ten or 

 fifteen years, and we have known bushes to bear well for more 

 than twenty years. New plants can be raised so easily from 

 cuttings that it would be better to reset the ground, or rather 

 select a new field on which to plant them, as often as once in 

 ten years. The old Red Dutch has always been a favorite sort, 

 but of late years La Versaillaise, Cherry, Fertile of Angers and 

 some others have taken the lead among the red varieties, while 

 the Dana's Transparent and White Grape are regarded as the 

 most valuable among the white sorts. The largest and best 



