MV RASPBERRY FIELDS IN iSgi. 



527 



pointed ; flesh deep yellow ; quality only fair, but ap- 

 pearance of the fruit fine. 



KisHiu-MiKAN. — Very small and much flattened; color 

 orange red ; rind very thin, and no pith under it ; peels 

 easily. Sections crescent shaped, large and hollow in 

 the center, but no pith ; membranes thin ; seeds few, 

 very small, mostly undeveloped or deformed ; flesh or- 

 ange color, very sweet, delicious and juicy. It is, per- 

 haps, the sweetest of the Japanese varieties, and it comes 

 in market early and remains until March, 



Yatsushiro-mikan. — Leaf large, of dark green color. 

 Fruit medium to large, flattened and depressed at the 

 apex, and a little raised at the base ; color bluish-yellow ; 

 rind thick, and surface with many undulations ; pith 

 under the rind bitterish ; sections eleven to twelve ; 

 membranes thick and part easily ; axis hollow and pithy ; 

 seeds plump ; flesh sub-acid. Second rate, but fine ap- 

 pearance. 



FuKUSHiu-MiKAN. — The tree and leaf like the Kino- 

 kuni variety. Fruit medium, depressed at the apex and 

 elevated at the base ; color reddish yellow ; rind thin, 

 surface smooth ; sections easily parted ; seeds numerous. 

 Quality poor, but fruit looks fine. 



Kawa-chi-mikan. — Fruit medium, roundish, much de- 



pressed and folded both at the base and apex ; color 

 reddish orange ; rind thick, somewhat rough. Opening 

 in the center large ; sections separate easily ; seeds few ; 

 pulp orange color, sweet and sub-acid. Quality good. 



Koji. — Fruit small, flattened, base and apex depressed 

 and folded ; color bright yellow ; rind very thin ; mem- 

 branes thin. Sections part easily ; center hollow and 

 pithy ; seeds plump, of varying sizes ; flesh yellow, 

 rather sour when first brought to market. It is one of 

 the first that becomes marketable in the fall, which is 

 its chief value. 



Sakura-jima-mikan. — Fruit small, flattened, somewhat 

 depressed at the base and apex. Color deep reddish- 

 orange ; rind smooth, thin, separating easily ; opening 

 in center large and pithy ; seeds few ; flesh orange color, 

 juicy, sweet. Quality fine. 



Shirawa-koji. — Fruit small, flattened, depressed 

 slightly at the base and apex ; rind very thin, so as to 

 show the form of the sections on the outside, smooth ; 

 color reddish-yellow. Sections eleven to thirteen ; mem- 

 branes thin ; seeds small, but plump and numerous ; flesh 

 yellow, juicy, sub-acid ; center open and pithy. This 

 is quite a distinct orange. 



Kansas Agricultural College. C. C. Georgeson. 



MY RASPBERRY FIELDS IN 1891. 



HE raspberry crop rushes the 



T grower, because it must be 

 picked as soon as the berries 

 " are ready — that is, every sec- 



ond day. Old berries either 

 drop off or rot in the basket. 

 It is important to have each 

 picking a clean one, for if not, 

 some old berries get into the 

 baskets and start mould. This year is exactly 

 right for the raspberry — not over hot and showers 

 enough. The drought that damaged strawberries 

 passed in time. The very first picking of raspber- 

 ries was of small berries, but they did not continue 

 to pick small. The crop is now (August ist) pass- 

 ing off in finest order. The demand for nice ber- 

 ries, well handled, never slacks. I shall soon have 

 finished marketing, out of my garden, about loo 

 bushels of as grand berries as I have ever seen. 

 The wholesale price for bulk of reds has been lo 

 cents a quart. About one-tenth of the crop 

 brought 12 to 18 cents. The opening rates for fine 

 fruit begins at about i8. The price would not fall 

 so rapidly but for the ignorance of a few growers, 

 who go into market and offer fruit at low rates be- 

 cause they do not know its true value. Red rasp- 

 berries at 10 cents average pay well. Last year I 

 did not sell below 12.' cents. 



The fruit should be picked every second day and at 

 once placed in a cool cellar on the floor and marketed 

 early the next morning. Of course, I do not refer to 

 shippers who must ship as soon as picked. The highesj 

 profit is in growing just as large gardens as you can 

 handle inside your own family, without hired help. 

 Then secure, if possible regular customers, and see that 

 they are carefully supplied with choice fruit. It is not 

 just to growers to supply families with daily boxes, but 

 there is no injustice in supplying, for canning, at whole- 

 sale rates by the quantity. 



I find there is a difference of one-half in weight on 

 crates, and sometimes more. This makes a vast difl'er- 

 ence in the net cost of handling, or in freight for a 

 grower. I do not care to run the risk of advertising, 

 but will say that the ideal is a 32 or 40-quart crate 

 (I prefer the latter), with the best of light material, 

 corner bound with sheet iron. These can be not only 

 more easily handled, but occupy the least possible 

 room. The Disbrow crate, of Rochester, may be men- 

 tioned as one of those built on this ideal. There are 

 others of a superior sort, but most of these we see and 

 handle in berry seasons are cumbrous and clumsy. 



The proper method of growing is that method which 

 will insure (i) moist soil, (2) bushes well up from 

 tangling, (3) planting as close as will endure well, in 

 order to get the largest return from the soil. For the 

 first point, mulch between rows with coal ashes, saw- 

 dust, marsh hay or straw — whatever cheap material 

 you can best obtain. But it is more important to grow 

 the rows about five feet or six apart, and let the canes, 



