SPUR BLIGHT OF THE RED RASPBERRY 
CAUSED BY SPHAERELLA RUBINA 
By Walter G. Sackett. 
For more than twenty years, the growing' of red raspberries 
in northern Colorado has been one of the chief occupations of those 
engaged in horticultural pursuits. There is probably no one dis¬ 
trict in the United States which produces more red raspberries for 
a given territory than Loveland, Colorado. 
In the year 1914, the Loveland Fruit Growers’ Association 
handled 10,120 crates,* which represents approximately 80 per 
cent, of the crop; the Boulder Association shipped 1,550 crates, 
less than one-half of the crop, and the Longmont Association 
5,000, making a total of 16,670 crates handled in a wholesale way, 
to say nothing of those marketed through other channels and con¬ 
sumed locally. The average price paid to the Loveland growers 
for the season 1914 amounted to $1.27 per crate, and estimating 
the cost of production and packing at 75 cents per crate, we have 
a net return of approximately 50 cents on every crate. The de¬ 
mand for these berries is always far in excess of the supply, which 
makes it possible to control the price and secure a reasonable re¬ 
turn for the grower. The present acreage in the Loveland district 
is in the neighborhood of seventy acres; Longmont follows with 
forty, and Boulder with thirty. In addition to this, there are a 
number of plantations around Fort Collins which a little more 
than supply the local trade. Nowhere in the state do we obtain 
the yields that are secured in the Loveland, Longmont and Boulder 
districts; 375 crates per acre is a fair average, while 600 have 
been obtained under optimum conditions. 
The Marlboro is the most popular variety, although the Cuth- 
bert is grown to some extent. In flavor, cpiality, size and color., 
the Northern Colorado' berries are second to none in the United 
States, but because of inadequate facilities for pre-cooling, a pre¬ 
requisite to refrigeration in transit, the fruit has not found its way 
to the eastern and Mississippi Valley markets. Our berries ripen 
from two to three weeks later than those in the lower altitudes, 
and while this question of a market has never given us any con¬ 
cern thus far, it is very clear that if such an emergency should 
*One crate contains twenty-four pint boxes. 
