BUSH FRUIT PRODUCTION 



vigor and productivity without it. When 

 weeds and grass are allowed to come in, black 

 caps propagate much more freely, for the tips 

 root more readily than on cleanly cultivated 

 ground, and the raspberry patch soon becomes 

 an impenetrable jungle. 



When cultivation is followed, it should be 

 started in early spring before the weeds get 

 a start and before the ground is packed hard 

 by spring rains. A good dust mulch should 

 be maintained until after harvest. 



In the garden it is often more convenient 

 to use a mulch system than to attempt cultiva- 

 tion. When used at all, a good mulch should 

 be established early and maintained carefully. 

 The mulch must be heavy enough to prevent 

 the growth of weeds and the thickness re- 

 quired will vary with the condition of the land. 

 Almost any vegetable waste will serve as a 

 mulching material, but it should not contain 

 ripened seeds which might make trouble. 



Mice under mulches are sometimes trouble- 

 some. In winter they may girdle the canes by 

 devouring the bark when hard pressed for 

 food. The mulch should be examined in the 

 fall and if the runways of mice are numerous, 

 the mice should be poisoned or otherwise de- 

 stroyed. 



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