48 Bush-Fruits 



TILLAGE 



Tillage is important, as elsewhere, to make the ground 

 loose and friable, unlock plant-food and diminish evapora- 

 tion. In the red raspberry plantation there is the addi- 

 tional need of destroying suckers. To this end, a cultiva- 

 tor with teeth square on the end instead of pointed, or 

 with a knife attachment, as described elsewhere, is use- 

 ful. This is assuming that fruit is the object. If plant- 

 production were the aim such an implement would not be 

 wanted. 



Thorough tillage, coupled with an abundant humus 

 supply in the soil, affords the most feasible means within 

 the control of the grower of maintaining the moisture 

 content of the soil during the fruiting period, when it is 

 so much needed. These are better than irrigation, in 

 semi-arid regions, and far more easily obtained, under 

 most conditions. Late tillage, until time of frost, is per- 

 fectly safe with the red raspberry, and gives good results. 

 Deep tillage is undesirable, since it breaks more roots, 

 thus causing more suckers to spring up. A plow is some- 

 times used to cut down the width of the row in older plan- 

 tations but is not desirable. If it becomes necessary to 

 use it the furrows should be made as shallow as possible. 



PRUNING 



The pruning and training of red raspberries differs 

 widely in different localities and among different growers. 

 Summer pruning, consisting of pinching back the growing 

 cane when young, to induce branching, was formerly in 



