THE RASPBERRY 



The raspberry is the most popular bush fruit grown in Ontario, and as it follows 

 the strawberry in season the consumer is well supplied with these two fruits most of 

 the summer. The raspberry being a native of Ontario, is hardy in almost all parts of 

 the Province, hence it is cultivated over a very wide area. 



Like the other bush fruits, the raspberry does best when grown in a cool, moist, but 

 well-drained soil. While this soil should be of good quality, if it is very rich in nitrogen 

 the growth may be too rank and in some localities the canes on this account are more 

 liable to winter injury. The best success is usually obtained with a sandy loam or 

 loam, although the raspberry will do fairly well in most kinds of soil. The preparation 

 of the land should be the same as for other bush fruits. The plants may be set either 

 in fall or spring, although if young growing suckers are used they may be planted suc- 

 cessfully any time in the early part of the summer where the soil is moist. 



Red raspberries are usually planted in rows seven and one-half feet apart with the 

 plants three feet apart in the rows, although they may be cultivated longer and better 

 if grown in hills about five feet each way, and for the amateur this is the best way to 

 grow them. The cultivation of the raspberry should be thorough to retain moisture, 

 as in the fruiting season a good supply of moisture is very important. Some growers 

 prefer pinching back the canes in summer when they are from eighteen inches to two 

 feet in height, believing that they get a better crop by so doing, but this system is not 

 recommended as it has been found by experiments that red raspberries succeed better 

 when the growth is not headed back in summer. Sometimes, also, the pinching is de- 

 layed and the laterals which are made do not ripen thoroughly and the canes are injured 

 by winter. It is best to let the canes make full growth in summer, and if they are very 

 tall they may be headed back to three or four feet in height before growth begins in 

 the spring. 



Black raspberries are planted most successfully in the spring. They should be set 

 rather shallow, as if planted deep they will not grow. Stockier plants will be obtained 

 if the plants are set in a furrow and lightly covered with soil, applying more soil as 

 the plants grow until the field is level. Pinching back in summer is a good practice 

 with black raspberries, as it makes the plants stockier and better able to withstand 

 storms. 



The thinning out of the canes may be done in fall or spring. Seven or eight of the 

 strong canes of red raspberries to a hill and three or four of black raspberries are suffi- 

 cient to leave. If the raspberries are grown in a hedge row the weakest canes should 

 be removed, leaving those which are to fruit about six inches apart. The raspberry 

 plantation should be kept well supplied with plant food, but a too liberal use of nitro- 

 genous fertilizers, as previously stated, should be avoided. 



In the colder parts of the country it is a very good practice to bend the canes down 

 in the fall for better protection in winter, the canes being held in place by covering 

 the tips with soil. By adopting this plan serious winter injury rarely occurs. 



VARIETIES RECOMMENDED. 



General List, approved, by the Board o/ Control. 

 Black: Hilborn, Older, Gregg, Smith Giant. 

 Purple: Columbian, Shaffer. 

 Red: Marlboro, Herbert, Cuthbert. 

 White: Golden Queen. 



DISTRICT LISTS. 



NIAGARA DISTRICT 



(Including the Niagara Peninsula from the Niagara River to Hamilton and north to 



the escarpment). 



S. H. Rittenhouse, Jordan Harbour. 

 Red: Marlboro, Cuthbert. 

 Black: Gregg. 



[2871 



