SEED-TIME AH© HARVEST. 
15 
Points in Raspberry Culture. 
BY J. M. STAHL. 
The Bush System. When I began cultivating rasp¬ 
berries, the only system then known or practised to 
admit of cultivation was to tie or wire canes to 
stakes or to strips nailed to stakes, and this was my 
method for several years. This was both expensive 
and troublesome. Where several acres were devoted 
to the culture of this superb fruit the cost of stakes 
and of twine or wire was a considerable item, and the 
expense of labor in tying or wiring up the canes was 
a yet greater item. This has been replaced by the 
bush system, which requires neither stakes nor wire. 
It relieves the cultivater of all the disagreable work 
of tying up the canes. The berries grow on pinched 
back canes are of as good a quality and the yield is 
as great as on canes treated in the old way. As 
may be conjectured from the name of the system, 
the object is to convert the cane into a bush which 
will be self-supporting. The first point is to plant 
the canes deeper than when they are to be tied up. 
In the latter case, a depth of one inch or two is 
sufficient; but for the bush system a depth of at 
least three or four inches is required. The fust 
year's growth is pinched back when eight or ten 
inches long. The second, and all succeeding years, 
the tips of the growing shoots are pinched back from 
twenty to twenty-four inches long. This stops their 
growth in hight and causes them to throw out laterals 
in all directions, effectually balancing and supporting 
the main stem. Early each spring all laterals are 
cut back with hand pruning shears, leaving them 
from one foot to two feet long, according to the 
number and strength of the canes in the hill. This 
operation admits of easy and rapid work. As soon 
as the pruning is completed, all the debris is carried 
out and burned. 
Cultivation. I find it necessary to make some use 
of the hoe, though this use is little after the first 
season. I begin cultivation early in the spring—as 
soon as I can get the debris from pruning out of the 
way and the ground is in a fit condition to stir. A 
one-horse cultivator is the best implement. I culti¬ 
vate at least once a week up to the first of August 
the first year, and till the fruit begins to form there¬ 
after. Some growers recommend cultivation up to 
August every year, but I do not find this advisable 
in my locality. I suppose that location and charac¬ 
ter of soil will have considerable to do with this. 
I cultivate three or four inches deep; there is no dan¬ 
ger of injuring the plants by cultivating this deep. 
Too late cultivation must be avoided as it will 
keep the plants growing and prevent their maturing 
their wood sufficiently to withstand the winter. 
However, I am rarely troubled with the canes win¬ 
ter-killing. The hoefis used only to cut out weeds and 
loosen soil where it is impossible to get with the culti¬ 
vator. Cultivation improves the quality of the crop. 
Planting. Plant in good soil, well under-drained. 
Fairly good crops may be grown on rolling land not 
under-drained, but the highest success is attainable 
only by under-draining. Upland clay loam is good. 
Raspberries will do well in almost any soil which is 
fertile and well drained. The soil is prepared as for 
any common form crop. If the soil is deep, plow" 
deep; deep preparation is the best. Pulverize well* 
as you would for a wheat or corn crop, only better 
than I am afraid many of my readers do. I have 
already spoken of the depth to plant. I plant ira 
hills six feet apart each way, as I like to cross culti¬ 
vate and I find the berries pay me good rent for 
even this much land. Many growrs plant in rows six; 
or seven feet apart, makiug the hills three feet apart, 
in the rows; and this is probably the better plan where 
land is higher and labor comparatively cheaper tnaia 
with me. I draw a furrow where I want the row to* 
be, useing for this purpose a single diamond, or bar- 
share, plow. I make the cross-rows in the same way 
and plant at the intersections. Draw the soil around 
the plant, and firm it, else the winds will dislodge the 
plant. I prefer to plant in the evening, and if a raiu 
is impending it is all the more to my liking. What 
I have written refers to black-caps. The reds are 
plant ed and cultivated in much the same way, except 
that they are not planted quite so deep, are not pruned 
at all the first year, and are not pruned so severely 
thereafter. These plants throw up many suckers 
which must be kept cut out. 
Varieties. Of varieties there are many. Some are 
good, some are bad, many indifferent. Of the blacks, 
Souhegan and Tyler for early, and Gregg for late, 
can always be recommended. And of the reds Turner 
and Cuthert can be generally depended upon to 
give satisfaction. Some varieties do much better in 
some localities than in others. Undoubtedly the most 
popular red raspberry is the Cuthert, and the most 
popular black is the Gregg; both of which are late 
berries. Taylor, Mammoth Cluster, Souhegan, Tyler 
and Doolittle are all popular. Of the newer berries I 
do not speak, as their merits are to be yet satisfactori¬ 
ly demons! rated. The Hansell is a vigorous grower, 
hardy, and the berry is of fair quality, Shaffer’s 
Colossal is highly recommended by many, but the 
quality of the berry is doubted. 
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