oo RASPBERRIES 
good crown, and ensures one or more strong canes 
starting away in spring, and these will bear heavily in the 
succeeding summer. Not only does this cutting down 
ensure strong canes, but the root system of the rasp- 
berry is much improved, and is well able to stand the 
strain imposed upon it in the following summer by fruit 
production, and the provision of stout new canes. 
It will be easily understood that if the canes, as 
planted, are allowed to remain and bear fruit, the 
small root system is fully occupied in supplying them 
with the necessary material. Consequently fruiting is 
at the expense of stout canes, and it will be several 
years ere the plantation is established, unless one fruit 
crop is sacrificed. 
A compromise is frequently effected in gardens where 
there is a large demand and where space is limited. 
This is made by planting about three times as many 
canes as are necessary, cutting down those that’ are 
needed to make the plantation proper, fruiting the rest 
and pulling them out immediately the crop has been 
gathered. 
There is yet another method, and that is to select 
extra strong sucker canes for planting, putting them 
into position by the end of October as a permanent 
plantation. The less delay and root exposure that 
occurs the better in all cases, but especially so with 
this. When the soil has well settled down, cut these 
strong canes back to about two feet from the ground, 
tie them to stakes or wires and allow them to fruit. In 
brief—extra strong canes, early and careful planting, 
and pruning back to two feet will ensure a small crop 
of fruit, and also the new canes necessary for the 
following year’s crop. 
Let us now consider the pruning of an established 
plantation. The work should begin in summer, the 
summer pruning consisting merely of the removal of all 
