18 RASPBERRIES AND BLACKBERRIES. 



Manure and Preparation of Ljand.— All varieties need 

 high cultivation. The land should be heavily manured and thor- 

 oughly plowed and brought into the best condition for corn or other 

 gross feeding crop. The best fertilizer is well rotted barnyard 

 manure. Raspberries, especially the black-cap kinds, will produce 

 very well even on quite poor soil, but rich land and thorough culti- 

 vation is necessary for the best success with any variety. 



Time of Planting. — The suckering kinds may be planted in 

 autumn or spring with safety. When the work is done in the 

 autumn great care should be taken to firm the soil around the 

 roots, and a forkful of mulch over each hill is a great protection 

 against winter injury. Many growers prefer to set in autumn, as 

 at that season they can give the work more careful attention than 

 in the spring. Then again the new sprouts from sets (suckers) 

 start very early, and if the work is delayed in the spring they are 

 often broken off or injured in the work of planting. Black-caps 

 and other tip-rooting kinds should never be set in the fall, as they 

 are very liable to be winter-killed if moved at that season. They 

 should always be set in the spring. 



Selection of Plants. — Since the canes are biennial there is 

 no such thing as two or three-year-old plants, as with trees, when 

 we refer to the stems ; but the roots may be of any age, as they are 

 perennial. Plants of one season's growth are best to begin with. 

 Sucker plants are generally best with t he varieties increasing in 

 that way; but plants from ro3t cuttings may be just as good, or 

 even better, when well grown. The old stools may be broken up 

 and the plants set out, but such sets have few fibrous roots and 

 often start slowly ; with the tip-rooting kinds plants obtained by 

 breaking up the old stools are not so good as those from the sucker- 

 ing kinds obtained the same way, and should not be used when 

 avoidable, as they are very apt to fail even with the best of care. 

 It is important to use only vigorous sets taken from perfectly 

 healthy stock. Old plantations of raspberries frequently become 

 d'«eased and plants from them a^e often worthless, consequently 

 care should be exercised in bujdng plants. 



Planting and Cultivation. — After the land is thoroughlj' 

 prepared the plants should be set out in rows seven feet apart and 

 at three foot intervals in the rows, putting two plants at a place. 

 The distance between the rows may be lessened to five feet if more 

 space is not available and the weaker growing kinds are planted, 

 but the greater distance admits of cultivation even when the 

 bushes are loaded witk fruit. It allows sunlight to readily reach 

 the plants and is most satisfactory every way, and for profit they 

 should never be set any nearer; while for some of the strongest 

 growing varieties the hills she uld not be nearer than five feet in 

 the row. At the time of planting the canes should be cut off close 

 to the ground and no fruit a' lowed to form the first season. 



A good way to plant is to mark out the land the three-foot way 

 and then furrow out where the rows are to come. Set the plants 



