RASPBERRIES ANTl BLACKBERRIES. 17 



spring, when the roots should show a callous on the cut ends. . The 

 roots are then planted three or four inches apart in furrows and 

 covered about two inches deep in rich soil. By the end of the sea- 

 son they will have made plants large enough to set out ( Fig. G). 



This plan for growing plants from root cuttings may be greatly 

 changed in detail, but the general plan is the same. It is always 

 best to make up the root cuttings in the fall, but cuttings from 

 strong growing kinds do nearly as well made up in the spring. The 

 cuttings are generally made with a sharp knife or a pair of pruning 

 shears, but nearly equally good results may be had by cutting the 

 roots in a hay cutter. 



By Layers.— The Black-cap and some other kinds grow most 

 readily from layers. The tips of the new growth reach the ground 

 about the latter part of August or first of September, and readily 

 make new plants if held in place {Fig. 7) . These tips should be cov- 

 ered with a spadeful of soil, 

 or better, be inserted three or 

 four inches into a hole made 

 by pushing a spade in the 

 ground. They will be well 

 rooted in three weeks. These 

 rooted layers will be found to 

 winter over most safely if 

 allowed to remain undisturbed 

 until spring, but should have 

 a light mulch over them dur- 

 ing winter. They may be win- 

 tered over if dug and very 



^carefully heeled in, or kept in 



Fig. 7. ''Cap'' raspberry set or plant of ^ ^ ,-, ^„no« v.,,+ +>,-. v^i . 



one season s growth. The sfraight line ^ ^old cellar, but the plan rec- 

 iihOH's the bud that will start into m^oivt hommended should be followed 

 in the spring and form the new plant. ^^^^ practicable. It is not 

 considered good policy to plant the layers in the fall as they are 

 very liable to winter injury when disturbed in autumn. In digging 

 the layers about ten inches of the cane should be cut off with the 

 roots to facilitate handling (Fig. 7). It is generally believed that 

 unprotected plants are much hardier when the layers remain at- 

 tached to the plant during winter than they are if the layers are 

 cut off in the fall. 



Location and Soil.— The common varieties of the raspberry 

 succeed admirably in any good soil ; but the suckering class, which 

 includes chiefly the red varieties, produce rather better than the 

 black-caps in moist, heavy loam, and the latter do best in a sandy 

 loam. A northern slope is generally better than a southerly one as 

 it is less liable to injury from drouth, which frequently shortens 

 the fruiting season in bad situations ; but it is well known that 

 some varieties withstand dry weather and other climatic troubles 

 far better than others of the same species. 



