354 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



would advise cutting hard back, thus getting stronger shoots 

 from the base, as if the canes are left long they break weakly 

 all up the old canes, and never grow away so freely. I also note 

 the large grower plants the rows 6 feet apart, the plants 

 being placed about 1 foot from each other, and I must say the 

 largest and best fruits I ever grew were at that distance, and 

 being very strong required little staking ; but in small gardens 

 I advise more room between the rows, say 12 feet, with other 

 low-growing crops planted between them. This is more neces- 

 sary on poor land, or when at all shaded, as the fruit thus gets 

 more light and air, and the wood is better matured. Another 

 point often overlooked in private gardens is clearing away the 

 old canes as soon as the fruit is gathered. If left they rob the 

 stools greatly and prevent the canes required for next season's 

 fruit from growing as large and strong as possible, and getting 

 thoroughly ripened for the following season. I have seen the 

 old canes left for months after the fruit has been gathered. 

 This should not be, as it prevents the new canes from growing 

 and ripening. Ample room between the rows is necessary. 



1 prefer from G to 9 feet or more, and at least 18 inches to 



2 feet from plant to plant in the rows, only leaving three to five 

 canes to a stool. With strong stools the smaller 'quantity is 

 ample, restricting the suckers to this number at an early period, 

 viz., in the spring, and destroying all others (if stock is not 

 required) as soon as they appear. When Easpberries are newly 

 planted in the autumn they do not throw many shoots the next 

 season (usually one or two each), and if they have not been cut 

 back hard they sometimes shoot up the stem and not from the 

 base. Such side-shoots are no use, but the cultivator should 

 endeavour to get two or three strong shoots from the base of 

 the newly planted canes and discourage fruiting branchlets the 

 first season after planting, as the cane is not sufficiently strong 

 to bear fruit, and its whole energy should be directed to forming 

 two or three strong fruiting canes for the next season. Very 

 little more is required the first year beyond keeping the 

 ground clean and well mulched with manure. But as I intend 

 to give a few words to mulching later, I need only remark that 

 the newly planted canes should have their roots covered with 

 good manure as soon as the soil round them has settled, and 

 another mulching in the spring. This will carry the plants 



