THE MANAGEMENT OF RASPBERRIES AND BLACKBERRIES. 21 5 



are no alders or evergreens the ground under the trees is as clean 

 as though it had been burned over. Sweet fern they do not like 

 very well but they have cleaned all of the hardhack out of this 

 piece. Ferns and brakes have been eaten to some extent. They 

 have eaten the leaves and young sprigs of bushes in preference 

 to grass. Birches two inches or more in diameter they have not 

 injured but they have stripped the bark from every maple. Even 

 maple trees six inches in diameter have been thus killed. We 

 have found them to be fond of the bark of apple trees, even eat- 

 ing the bark from old trees. 



To clean up birch or evergreen wood land they have proven 

 very effective. There has been practically no cost for the sum- 

 mer's keeping. The twelve goats have been kept without other 

 food on one acre of young wood land. They have required no 

 care other than an occasional visit to see that they are all right 

 and that thev have water. Salt was Qiven occasionally. 



THE MANAGEMENT OF RASPBERRIES AND BLACKBERRIES. 



A correspondent asks the Maine Experiment Station for infor- 

 mation as to the time for pruning and transplanting raspberries 

 and blackberries. In reply the following suggestions were made. 



"The ideal treatment for raspberries and blackberries is to 

 pinch them back at intervals during the summer and thus secure 

 strong, sturdy bushes 3^ to 4 feet high, with laterals 1 to ij^ 

 feet long, rather than to practice severe heading back after the 

 plants have become long and 'leggy.' If, however, as is fre- 

 quently the case even in the best managed gardens, the plants are 

 at this season making vigorous growth which may not mature, 

 they should at once be cut back- to the desired height and the 

 canes will harden before cold weather. Many prefer to cut back 

 the bushes in the spring, after the extent of winter-killing is 

 determined. Thinning the canes, which should always be prac- 

 ticed, may be done at any time during the season. In general 

 one-half, or more, of the young canes which appear should be 

 cut out. 



"Blackberry and raspberry bushes may be transplanted this fall 

 if the work is done immediately, but better results are usually 

 obtained from spring planting. Currants, on the other hand, 

 have ariven rather better results from fall setting." 



