446 



SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



earth returned; but in all cases it should be the aim to firm the earth well 

 over the roots of the plants as they are set. 



Cultivation. — Clean cultivation is necessary with red raspberries, 

 because, as above stated, they are themselves of a weedy nature, and, in 

 order to hold them within bounds, implements which cut all the superfluous 

 shoots and root sprouts from the cultivated area should be used. During 

 the early life of the plantation it would be found most economical to keep 



the plants in check-rows so that culti- 

 vation by horse-power can be accom- 

 plished in two directions. Later, 

 however, as the plantation grows 

 older, it will be found advantageous, 

 both in yield of fruit and for economy, 

 to allow, the plants to form a hedge or 

 matted row, and to practice cultiva- 

 tion in one direction only. The space 

 between the hedges should be plowed 

 at least once each year, and whether 

 this shall be done in the spring or in 

 the autumn will depend upon the 

 locality. 



Fertilizers. — The liberal use of 

 stable manure (20 tons per acre) will 

 produce large yields of fruit, but the 

 use of a complete fertilizer, containing 

 nitrogen 4.5 per cent, phosphoric 

 acid (available) 7.7 per cent, potash 

 13.3 per cent, at the rate of 500 

 pounds per acre gives a greater net 

 profit at less outlay. 



Pruning. — Red raspberries re- 

 quire attention to direct their growth 

 and fruit production, at two seasons 

 of the year. They should be pruned 

 in the summer, during the growing 

 season, to regulate the height of the 

 canes and induce the formation of 

 fruiting w^ood for the following season, and again during the winter or 

 early spring for the purpose of eliminating the canes which bore last season. 

 This wall allow all the energy of the root of the plant to be directed to the 

 production of fruit and the formation of the next season's bearing wood. 

 The summer pruning, w T hich is not generally practiced with red rasp- 

 berries, consists in topping the young shoots w T hen they have attained a 

 height of from 18 to 20 inches. This induces the development of side shoots 

 and the production of additional sprouts from the root. Both these types 



A Young Planting Cane of Raspberry 

 Showing Fibrous Roots. 



