SUCCESS WITH SMALL FRUITS— CURRANTS 



15 



BLACKCAP RASPBERRIES 



These differ from the Red class in their manner of growth 

 and increase. They do not sucker so freely, but are in- 

 creased by rooting the tips of the growing canes. This is 

 not practiced in plantations for fruiting, but only by 

 nurserymen who want the whole strength of the cane 

 devoted to fruiting. Blackcaps differ in their growth 

 from the Red Raspberry, making much longer canes. 

 They are native in all parts of the country, and vary 

 greatly in their fruit, so that a great many varieties have 

 been produced. While the Blackcaps can be grown with- 

 out stakes by close pinching of the canes, it is better to 

 train them to stakes, pinching the long canes so as to 

 promote the production of side shoots, and a great pro- 

 duction of fruit. I would always plant the Blackcap Rasp- 

 berries 6 feet apart each way and cultivate both ways. 



They are far more hardy in winter than the Red Rasp- 

 berry and seldom need any winter protection; the fruit 



stands shipment better than that of the Red Raspberry. 

 (My method of planting is in rows 5 feet apart and 3 feet 

 apart in the row. — W. F. A.) 



PURPLE RASPBERRIES 



These differ from other Raspberries in their capacity 

 for making a fall crop. The fruit is more acid than either 

 the Red Raspberry or the Blackcap, and is of a dull 

 purple color. These varieties have been little grown for 

 commercial purposes, and the only difference in their 

 treatment I would suggest is to cut down to the ground 

 the entire hill in the spring, and depend entirely on the 

 fall crop made from the new canes. In this way they will 

 make a larger crop than if treated as Red Raspberries. 

 (Don't cut them all back in the spring; you will be pleased 

 with the abundant crop, and, as they are very vigorous, 

 they often produce a good crop where both the Reds and 

 Blackcaps fail.— W. F. A.) 



THE CURRANTS 



This is especially a line fruit for the cooler sections of 

 the country, and diminishes in importance as we come 

 South, until from North Carohna southward it is of little 

 value, and produces very little fruit except in the cooler 

 mountain sections. There are several species of the 

 Currant, and many varieties of each. The varieties 

 grown for market all belong to the class that produce red 



fruit. There are varieties of the same species that make 

 white fruit, but these are of httle commercial importance. 

 All the varieties of red Currants in cultivation have orig- 

 inated from the oldRed Dutch Currant, and while the fruit 

 has been improved in size of berry, none, so far as I have 

 observed, bear larger crops than the old Red Dutch, which 

 has almost disappeared from cultivation. 



