BUSH FRUIT PRODUCTION 



Well-rotted manure or compost must be 

 given first place as a fertilizer for red rasp- 

 berries (see page 15). When neither of these 

 is available a good commercial fertilizer of 

 4-8-4 or 5-8-5 grade, or better, will be found 

 best for general use. It should be applied to 

 the rows in spring after pruning and worked 

 into the soil with a narrow hoe. Fertilization 

 late in the season is sometimes worth while on 

 weak plants, but it must be undertaken with 

 caution and should not be attempted by the 

 inexperienced. 



Winterkilling 



The terminal growth of raspberries con- 

 tinues until brought to an end by cold weather. 

 The new wood at the tips of the canes does 

 not harden or "ripen" and is not resistant to 

 cold. Back from the tips the older wood be- 

 comes progressively more resistant to the try- 

 ing conditions met in winter. Drying out of 

 the canes in winter seems to play a part as 

 important as low temperatures in injuring 

 plant tissues. 



The tips winterkill regularly and sometimes 



the injury extends back to the snowline or to 



ground level, the amount depending upon the 



severity of the weather and the condition of 



42 



