4 
January, 1890. 
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/ ORCH RRD 
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Raspberries in Indiana. 
Strawberries are scarcely gone before 
early raspberries begin to ripen; these are 
followed by blackberries, and these in 
turn by early peaches, closely followed by 
early apples, etc., so that with a very little 
time and attention, especially in the milder 
climates, there is no reason why the ordi- 
nary farmer’s family may not be supplied 
with an abundance of fresh, delicious, health- 
giving fruit from the beginning to the end 
of the year. None of the fruits are more 
easily cultivated than the raspberry, and 
yet how many farmers’ families there are 
who, if they have them at all, have to de- 
pend on the little wild berries found grow- 
ing here and there in fence corners along 
the roadside. This is not as it should be, 
when we know that two dozen plants of 
the better red varieties, and an equal num- 
ber of blackcaps, 6et in moderately fertile 
soil on one side of the kitchen garden and 
properly cared for, will furnish enough 
berries to supply a large family, and some 
to spare. 
We are frequently asked the question, 
“Will raspberries do well on a newly invert- 
ed sod To all such we would answer, No, 
as a rule they will not. The roots of the 
plants will be more likely to dry out during 
a dry season, and it is not infrequently the 
case that many plants are lost from this 
cause. Better raise a crop of potatoes on 
the land so that the ground may be made 
deep and mellow before planting. 
In planting the suckers of the red varie- 
ties it is desirable to have a part of a rhizo- 
ma or underground stem attached. If they 
are simply pulled up the plants are almost 
worthless as they have but few roots. In 
getting plants of the blackcaps, which pro- 
pagate from the tips, it is only necessary 
to cover the tips of the canes with a lit- 
tle soil, late in the season as they bend over 
and touch the ground, in order to keep them 
moist and prevent the wind from blowing 
them about. They are then left till the next 
spring when they may be taken up and 
transplanted three by six feet apart for gar- 
den culture, or three by eight feet apart for 
field culture. 
During the first year pinch off the tops 
when a foot high allowing only four or five 
canes to grow in a hill. By so doing the 
plants will not crowd each other; they will 
grow stouter and produce larger and finer 
fruit, and more of it. Give the plants level 
cultivation during the summer. When they 
come into bearing they should receive a 
mulch of old straw or other suitable ma- 
terial which will keep the ground moist and 
the berries clean. After the plants are well 
established, if properly attended to, they will 
thrive, and produce crops of from one hun- 
dred to two hundred bushels per acre, for ten 
or twelve years. After a crop of berries 
is removed many prefer to cut out all of the 
bearing wood and burn it in order to de- 
stroy any insects which may be there, and 
to give all the room to the new growth 
which is to bear the following year. 
As before intimated, different varieties of 
raspberries, like all other kinds of fruit, 
have their preferences as regards soil, cli- 
mate and cultivation; so in discussing their 
merits and demerits we must necessarily 
keep in mind the fact that varieties which 
thrive well on the soil and in the climate of 
Central Indiana may not do at all when 
grown under different conditions. And, so 
many of the varieties which we would con- 
demn as practically worthless with us, may 
give the best of satisfaction when grown on 
different soils in a more favorable climate. 
So in the following list we will give the re- 
sults as recorded for a series of years on a 
a rather heavy loam, naturally well under- 
drained, and in a climate ranging all the 
way from 100° above zero in summer to 30° 
below in winter. 
Acme (cap) originated at Mansfield, Ohio, 
proves to be about the same degree of har- 
diness, productiveness, quality and time of 
ripening as the Tyler, which is one of the 
best early varieties. 
Ada (cap), ripens a little later and is a har- 
dy , vigorous grower, good size and is recom- 
mended highly for general cultivation. 
Arnold's Hybrid (red), has been fruited 
three years and has made an utter failure 
each year. The berry is too small for use. 
Brandywine (red), is very productive, ber- 
ries large, bright red, and good quality. It 
is an excellent variety. 
Caroline (yellow). This is a good berry 
for those who wish it simply for home use. 
It adds variety to the list, and is worthy of 
recommendation except for market. 
Crimson Beauty (red) has been discarded 
as a pocr grower, and a still poorer bearer. 
Cuthbert (red). As a late berry this will 
give satisfaction on almost any soil, and 
every farmer should have it. 
Gregg (cap) would stand at the head of 
the list if it was a little more hardy. It is 
one of the largest and best blackcaps in cul- 
tivation for mild climates, but it will not 
do for the colder regions. 
Hansell (red) is one of the earliest but 
that is all that can be said in its favor. 
Hilborn (cap) is medium in season, fruit 
of good size, and excellent flavor. Iu fact 
it is one of the best for the season. 
Hopkins (cap) is productive, but the fruit 
is too small to make it valuable as a market 
berry. 
Marlboro (red) is a poor grower, and so 
we have discarded it, although in some lo- 
calities on soils containing more clay, it 
does remarkably well. 
Nemaha (cap) is as good as the Gregg in 
every respect, and surpasses it in hardiness. 
We recommend this as the berry for general 
cultivation. 
Shaffer (red). For canning purposes this 
cannot be excelled by any we have tested. 
It is too acid for table use in the fresh state. 
Turner (red). This is one of the earliest 
and most reliable red berries. Every farm- 
er should have this and Cuthbert as the one 
follows the other in time of ripening.— J. 
Troop, Indiana Experiment Station. 
January In tile Vineyard. 
Tender varieties of grapes that have not 
yet been covered should be pruned and laid 
down at the first opportunity. In many 
cases it will be sufficient to merely lay them 
upon the ground, but with very ten- 
der sorts or in much exposed locations it 
will be safer to cover the vines with earth. 
The use of straw, litter, etc. , for covering 
material is not to be commended as it af- 
fords a harbor for mice and other vermin, 
and does not make such a protective cover- 
ing as the soil at hand. It is now preify 
generally conceded that grape-vines may be 
safely pruned at any time during the winter 
from fall to spring, and in that case it is an 
easy matter to bend the canes to the ground 
after pruning and there let them lie. In this 
position they will escape exposure to the cold 
dry winds that are more dangerous and 
damaging than even intense cold. The wood 
intended for cuttings should be made up in- 
to suitable lengths, tied in bundles, labeled 
and buried in the soil. Our experience leads 
us to the conclusion that it does not injure 
cuttings to be made when the wood is fro- 
zen, ncr does it injure the vine to prune it 
while in that condition if the wood on the 
vine is not injured by crushing or breaking. 
There are, however, many pleasant days 
throughout the winter when the annual 
pruning may be done in comfort. 
It is a good season just now to get out the 
posts and other material needed for a grape 
trellis and prepare them for setting. When 
the ground is not frozen the posts may be 
set and the trellis erected before the busy 
season is at hand. To make posts last long 
it is necessary in some way to protect the 
part which is below ground against the de- 
structive action cf time and moisture. A 
common practico is to char the butt of the 
post by fire ; a coat of hot ccal tar may be 
applied. Crude petroleum is also an excel- 
lent preservative. The bark should always 
be removed. 
Grafting Wild. Grape Vines. 
There are many new places being pre- 
pared for homes out in the forests on which 
wild vines are growing that are worthless 
so far as their fruit is concerned, but which 
may quickly be converted into value by 
selecting the thrifty vines and trimming 
them for grafting in the spring. 
For years I have been experimenting with 
these vines, some of them quite large, by 
grafting the old trunk, under ground, but 
with very poor success as to their growing, 
and when they did grow they proved very 
unsatisfactory. 
Trim up a clean vine,- six to ten feet, and 
lay it in a trench a foot deep, covering with 
earth, leaving a foot or so of the clean 
smooth part of the cane near the surface to 
