SIXTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 148 



ceases and the canes are given a chance U) ripen nj) their wood. 

 In late October and early November the canes are 1)ent over 

 the gTound and entirely covered with earth for winter pro- 

 tection, 'riiis work is done 1)y three men : one bends the cane 

 while the other two shovel the earth from either side. In the 

 spring as soon as danger from drying winds is past, and before 

 the buds start the earth is loosened from the canes and they 

 (]nickly straighten up and appear healthy and green. After 

 being treated in this way we have found it to be the only safe 

 method to winter raspberries in our climate. The second year 

 posts are placed one at each end of the row- and one in the 

 middle, are well braced and two stout crosspieces are nailed 

 to each post, one about 8 inches from the ground and the other 

 about four feet. These crosspieces are about two feet long and 

 carry a wire at each end, to which the canes are tied, the top 

 wire only being used the first summer. 1die first year's crop is 

 apt to be quite small, but is generally enough to pay for the 

 work done on the bed. Cultivation is kept up to within one 

 foot of the row on each side, so that the suckers shall not grow 

 too much into the row. 



In the fall two more wires are stretclied on the lower cross- 

 piece about 8 inches from the ground. The canes are bent 

 over and tied to these two lower wires, earth is covered al^out 

 the root of the plants and as much as possible over the canes, 

 which winter very well in this position and are easily taken up 

 in the spring, by cutting the tie and loosening the soil. We do 

 not believe in cutting the canes back in the summer to induce 

 the side row, as this has a tendency to make the wood soft and 

 thus more canes are winter-killed. 



Our fruit is picked as early in the morning as possible after 

 it is dried (jff, in quart boxes, as we sell to a local market. 

 Cuthbert Raspberry and Snyder Blackberry are the best varie- 

 ties for our climate. After the second year blackberries are 

 not laid down, but the raspberries require it every year. After 

 the fruiting season the beds are gone over and all the canes 

 which have fruited are cut away. Hens are considered to be 

 a great help to raspberry and blackberry plantations, as they 

 keep the soil worked up and eat all weeds and insects. 



\\q use currants and gooseberries as fillers in young pear 



