628 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 3, 1908. 
The Culture 
OF THE 
Raspberry. 
The Raspberry is a plant, which, if 
grown on a systematic principle, will well 
repay the grower. There is the first cost 
of getting a few good canes, and after 
that, by proper treatment, practically no 
further cost is entailed. 
Though the Raspberry will make 
luxuriant growth under favourable condi¬ 
tions, I do not think it advisable to give 
it much room; planting in rows 3 to 4 
feet apart each way will be sufficient. 
The roots do not wander far from the 
plants, and an annual top-dressing main¬ 
tains their vigour better than when the 
plants are given more room. 
Several plans are adopted to support 
the Raspberry canes, but the best way 
I have found is as follows : At the end of 
each row put in a firm post or upright 
of some kind; between the posts along 
each line of Raspberries fix a length of 
stout wire about 2i feet from the ground 
and another about 2 feet above that; 
to these wires fasten the canes, the longer 
canes to both wires and the shorter ones 
to the lower one. This method provides 
protection against winds, makes the 
canes look tidy, gives plenty of air to the 
canes which benefits the fruiting in the 
summer, and leaves the centre over the 
stools open, affording room for the young 
canes to grow at the right season. 1 
think this is a first class method of train¬ 
ing them. A friend of mine who bunched 
his canes together and fastened them to 
stakes here and there I found had prac¬ 
tically no crop of fruit at all, whilsj, I, 
with this free and open system, had a 
splendid supply. This bunching to¬ 
gether of the canes has also another seri¬ 
ous drawback, inasmuch as there is not 
sufficient room for the development of 
young canes, upon which the next year’s 
supply of fruit will be borne. 
When the canes have fruited they 
should be cut out close down to the 
ground so that all the strength may go 
to the young canes, which should be 
fastened to the wires as soon as ripe 
enough. A good mulching of manure 
should be put over the roots for the 
winter, and lightly forked in the 
spring; no deep digging should be done 
between the rows of canes, as the Rasp¬ 
berry makes a lot of fibrous roots near 
the surface, and such digging might in¬ 
jure them. Only the good strong canes 
should be retained, all the weak ones 
being cut away with the old canes. I 
have grown six rows of Raspberries about 
12 feet long in this fashion, and found 
them always very satisfactory. 
The two varieties I grew were Nor¬ 
wich Wonder, a large fruited and excel¬ 
lent growing variety, and Superlative, 
the most generally grown, and one of 
the best Raspberries on the market; 
this has large good flavoured fruit, and 
is a splendid grower. The Raspberry is 
well worth growing in any fair sized 
garden ; it is reasonable in price, easy of 
culture, and if properly attended to, 
gives excellent results. 
B. B. 
Phlox Violet. 
The flowers of this variety are of a dark 
violet-purple. An Award of Merit was 
accorded the variety by the R.H.S., when 
shown by Messrs. Gunn and Sons, Olton, 
Warwickshire. 
Dahlia Tom Jones. 
The above is a show variety with large 
and beautifully formed flowers shaded 
with light pink on a creamy ground and 
purple at the edge. Award of Merit by\ 
the R.H.S. on September 1st, when shown' 
by Mr. S. Mortimer, Rowledge, Farnham. 
It also had a First-class Certificate from 
the National -Dahlia Society on Septem¬ 
ber 3rd. 
Gladiolus primulinus. 
A new hybrid strain of this species was 
shown by Messrs. R. Wallace and Co., 
Colchester, at a meeting of the R.FI.S. on 
September 1st, and received an Award of 
Merit for the strain. In the bunch some 
of them had yellow flowers, some orange, 
some yellow shaded scarlet, some deep 
red, while another type was streaked all 
over, much after the same fashion as 
Gladiolus dracocephalus. 
- a. w. - 
Prize Competitions. 
GENERAL CONDITIONS:—Competitors mast 
write on one side of the paper only. Regular 
paid contributors to THE GARDENING 
WORLD or other gardening journals are de¬ 
barred from entering, but occasional con¬ 
tributors may compete. The name and ad¬ 
dress of the competitor must appear on each 
article sent for competition. The Editor’s 
decision is final, and he reserves the right 
to reproduce, in any way,t any article or photo¬ 
graph sent for competition. The conditions 
applying to eaoh competition should be oare- 
fully read. 
WEEKLY 
PRIZES. 
A PRIZE OFTEN SHILLINGS will be given 
for the best paragraph or short article on any 
gardening subject, such as hints of practical 
Interest to gardeners, notes on the propaga¬ 
tion or cultivation of flowers, fruits or vege¬ 
tables, eradication of pests, etc. The para¬ 
graph or article must not exceed a column, but 
value rather than length will be considered in 
making the award. Mark envelopes “ Com¬ 
petition,” and post not later than the Monday 
following date of issue. Entries received later 
than Tuesday (first post) will be left over until 
the following week. 
Two prizes of 2s. 6d. will be awarded each 
week for the two best letters, not exceeding 
150 words, on any interesting gardening sub- 
jeot. 
RESULTS OF 
LAST WEEK’S 
COMPETITIONS. 
Some of the best papers in this competition 
are too long, and we desire readers to keep 
within a column. 
A prize in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “ B. B.,” for the article on “ The 
Country Garden,” page 610. 
Iu the Prize Letter Competition a prize 
was awarded to “J. W. W.,” for the article 
on “An Autumn Display of Pyretlirums”; 
and another to “ A. J. Hartley ” for the article 
on “ Earthing up Celery,” page 622. 
I- 
THE CULTURE 
— of— 
Sweet Pe as, 
Sweet Peas have never been more sue 
cessful than they have this year, botl 
with professionals and amateurs. Thi 
success of the lovely butterfly flower ha 
filled the hearts of many with the desire 
to grow good Sweet Peas another season 
Would-be growers are apt to leave al 
preparations to the last and so are no 
able to do what is absolutely necessar; 
for obtaining a good show of Peas. 1 
is a work in which a good deal of fore 
thought should be used. The presen 
time may appear very early to think o 
next year, but it is not. To begin with 
it is best to take plenty of notes of th 
Sweet Peas of this season, which ar 
considered the best varieties, which ar 
best in colour, or any particular habi 
or again which kinds are attacked b 
the disease, Sweet Pea streak or strip 
All these points may be noted now, - 
that when the seed ordering is bein 
done the amateur is not so much at se 
as to which kinds to grow. 
Next if the grower has in mind autum 
sowing of the seed he would do well t 
prepare his ground at once. Dig in a 
abundance of quicklime as it is helpfi 
in many ways; it sweetens the soil, the 
enabling the nitrifying bacteria to lh 
and work easily, and it also breaks up tl 
insoluble phosphates in the soil an 
makes them available for the plant 
and furthermore, it will assist in destro 
ing the spores of the fungus, which h: 
been found to attack the roots of th 
season’s plants. Dig in basic slag 
the same operation ; this will be broke 
up by the time the plants will requi 
most nourishment. 
Make the autumn solving about tl 
second or third week in September; t< 
forward plants are not any advantage. 
Too great attention cannot be givi 
to the preparation of the ground f 
Peas, as it is absolutely necessary th 
the soil should be sweet and in a go- 
condition for the health of the nitrifyi 
bacteria which aid the grower to produ 
good flowers: 
The soil should be, trenched as ear 
in the autumn as convenient and Id 
in ridges for wintering, digging in t 1 
lime and slag during the operatic. 
In early spring, if the weather is d' 
and the soil works well, dig the groul 
again, this time using superphosphate 
also dig in vaporite or apterite lib - 
ally to destroy all injurious insects, e- 
My idea is not to describe any cultie 
but to just recommend the grower r 
next year to look ahead and take no: 
of what he sees and hears this year s 
regards manuring and general cultiy 
tion. The maxim for the Sweet la 
growers should be ‘‘Look ahead.” 
A. D. T 
-- 
Autumn Crocuses. 
Those who grow the autumn-floweri§ 
Crocuses and the Meadow Saffron (0 
chicum) are now enjoying a display 1 
flowers that recall those of spring r‘< 
make a pleasing contrast to the yel’ 1 ' 
Composites. 
