344 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



size and flavor. With suitable moisture conditions tlie par- 

 ticular type of soil is of only moderate importance. 



Medium fertility is best suited to their needs. This is 

 particularly true of the red raspberries and blackberries. 

 While blackcaps will prosper on a rich soil, the red rasp- 

 berries and blackberries are likely to make a rank growth, 

 sutler from Avinter-killing and j/ield a small amount of fruit. 



The climate best suited to their growth seems to be one 

 neither too humid nor too dry. A humid climate appears to 

 induce more winter-killing. The same result may l)e brought 

 about by an unusually dry climate, such as we find on the 

 plains of the Avest, to which is added the injury from sum- 

 mer drought. Winter-killing is not governed entirely by 

 temperature. Our winter temperatures in Rhode Island sel- 

 dom ijet much below zero, and arc never so severe as in the 

 interior of New England, yet these fruits Avill pass the win- 

 ter with much less injury in the colder interior than with us. 

 Laying down and covering the plants during winter will 

 sometimes afford a sufficient i)rotection, pai'ticularly in cold 

 climates. With us it has not proved uniformly successful. 

 Either the protection has been insufficient, or the injury Avas 

 done before the plants were put down. In many northern 

 localities, hoAvever, this practice is regularly folloAved, and 

 nmst give good results. 



One rather stran(»:e fact with reo^ard to winter-killinsr is that 

 the smaller, late-growing canes seem to i)ass the Avinter better 

 than the larger and ap})arently more mature ones, Avhich have 

 grown during the entire season. This suggests a possible 

 means of reducing winter injury by pulling out all the first 

 young can(^s Avhen well started, and alloAving the later ones 

 to take their place. Why these small canes are more hardy 

 than those of earlier growth I am unable to say, but I have 

 observed this to be the fact in several instances. 



The site, or })arti("ular elevation of land chosen, is some- 

 times of great importance. Not only frosts are more fre- 

 (juent on low lands, but the cold of Avinter is also more 

 intense. Plants may therefore escape injiu-y on high lands 

 which would be severely hurt in the valley near by. We 

 find these conditions often marked on our college farm, 



