RAS 



RAS 



suckers from a healthy stock. We have 

 known new plantations made in cases 

 of emergency from a stock which had 

 stood too long in the ground, and of 

 course were lean, if not diseased. This 

 leanness was evidently transmitted to 

 their progeny, and, despite high ma- 

 nuring, a year or two was lost before 

 they could recover. Suckers, then, 

 may be planted any time between 

 October and the middle of February, 

 and they are drawn away from the old 

 plants by hand ; a slight pull will soon 

 show which are those disposed to colo- 

 nise. Deeply-dug ground is requisite, 

 and it should have a liberal amount of 

 half -rotten manure. Strong suckers 

 (drawn with a ball of soil, if possible,) 

 may -be planted three in a group, at 

 the end of September, four feet apart 

 from centre to centre ; and the rows, 

 if side by side, six feet apart. As soon 

 as the leaf drops, say the beginning 

 of November, we would prune one 

 strong cane to three feet, a second to 

 two feet, and a third to within a couple 

 or three inches of the soil. By these 

 means a nice little crop may be taken 

 the rirst year, and good shoots reserved 

 for the next. 



From Seed. This is practiced chiefly 

 with a view of raising new kinds; and 

 the seed collected from superior berries, 

 when thoroughly ripe, is washed from 

 the pulp and dried, then packed in 

 papers until spring. In the beginning 

 of February it must be sown, and a 

 gentle hotbed would hurry the process 

 much. The seedlings must be pricked 

 out when three inches high, and gene- 

 rous treatment must be continued ; and 

 towards the middle of May, having 

 been hardened off, they may be planted 

 at once in their final destination. All 

 that is requisite now is careful training, 

 the keeping down suckers and watery 

 spray; and when the shoots are five 

 feet long, the top may be pinched, to 

 consolidate the wood. 



Soil. When wild, being an inhabit- 

 ant of woods, a damp soil, somewhat 

 retentive of moisture, is found to suit 

 it best. We have generally known it 

 most successful in a darkish soil of an 

 alluvium character; any of our loams, 

 however, of sound texture, will grow it 

 49 



in perfection, but the soil should be 

 tolerably deep. A hot and loose sand, 

 short of depth, is the least suitable. 

 To meet the increased amount of per- 

 spiration from the leaf to which the 

 cultivated plant is liable in sunny situa- 

 tions, extra provision in the way of top- 

 dressing and mulching are highly to be 

 commended. 



Culture during the growing period. 

 Soon after the canes begin to shoot 

 in spring, a slight thinning-out is very 

 beneficial ; this may take place about 

 the beginning of May. In a few weeks' 

 time a thinning of the suckers may 

 take place, for in general they produce 

 a profusion, and such draw on the re- 

 sources of the plant, and exhaust the 

 soil. About four or five may be left on 

 each stool ; if they are very gross, 

 the moderate ones may be left ; if 

 weak, the strongest. 



If they have not been mulched, it 

 should be done immediately. As soon 

 as the last fruit is gathered, the old- 

 bearing shoots may be cut clean away, 

 and the young canes drawn a little 

 closer together. When over five feet 

 in height, the tops may be pinched ; 

 this, however, should not be done be- 

 fore the end of August. 



Culture during the Rest Period. As 

 soon as the leaves have all fallen, 

 pruning may take place, and our prac- 

 tice is to leave four canes. These we 

 cut at different heights, the tallest 

 about four feet, the next about nine 

 inches lower, and so on with the rest. 

 By these means, the young spray is 

 nicely divided, and the plants fruit 

 from bottom to top. The canes 

 are now neatly fastened, and a top- 

 dressing completes the rest period. 

 All useless suckers or canes are drawn 

 away. 



Training. The 

 earliest and finest 

 are obtained from 

 canes planted be- 

 neath a south wall, 

 and trained against 

 it in this form. 

 But in the open 

 ground the best 

 mode of training 

 is round small 



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