47 



wood-ashes are also excellent. Plants mnv .-ilso be set out during 

 the summer, as will be explained under the head of propagating. 

 In our latitude, and to the north, the blackcap raspberries do 

 better when set out in the spring. To the south, and in warm, 

 light land, they thrive equally well after fall planting. These 

 should be put five feet apart each way, as they are very strong 

 growers. At this distance 1,742 will be required for an acre. 

 While deep plowing and clean culture are as beneficial to these as 

 to the red varieties, they do not require as rich a soil. Set them 

 down so that the little bud which makes the new growth is one 

 inch beneath the surface in heavy soil, and two inches in light soil. 

 Cut off all the old cane. 



PropagatioT\. 



The first effort of the young raspberry plant, after transplant- 

 ing, is to become established, and next to propagate itself. About 

 all it can do the first season is to take a good root hold upon the 

 soil, and throw up one or two shoots or canes. But the second 

 season the roots of all the red raspberries (except the purple cane 

 family ) which have been spreading laterally through the soil, 

 show a tendency to throw up new shoots which are termed suck- 

 ers. With some varieties this disposition is so strong that these 

 suckers will fill up all the spaces between the rows, and choke 

 the bearing hills. For most practical purposes the red raspberries 

 will propagate themselves fast enough in this way, and unless 

 new plants are needed, the suckers must be treated as weeds and 

 all cut out with the hoe, save four or five in the hills. 



But some varieties do not sucker readily, and in introducing 

 new varieties it is often profitable to hasten nature's usual pro- 

 cedure. In doing this there is scarcely a limit to the results 

 of skill and good management. The practised gardener who has 

 glass forcing-houses, can take the smallest roots of a scarce 

 variety and cut them into half-inch pieces, and from each one 

 make a new plant. Then as they begin to grow he can take the 

 new green wood of the little plants, and cut this into small pieces 



