18 
We Have Space for But a Small Fraction of the 
CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 
There are three types of raspberries in common cultivation; the blacks, 
the reds and the purple varieties. The reds grow more upright than the others 
and can be planted much closer together on that account. The purple varieties 
are the strongest growers and also the most productive of all, but the color is 
unattractive and the customer must be educated to their use. When once 
known, they sell rapidly and are especially adapted for home use. The reds are 
of the very highest quality and most appreciated by epicures. If we could have 
just what we prefer, we would choose the reds for table use, the blacks for pies 
and the purple berries for canning. We believe in setting raspberry plants close 
in the row—say 1 to 2 feet, as this induces many canes which grow small and 
withy and are not broken off by the wind as when set several feet apart, and 
only one or two canes allowed to the hill, which grow very large and are easily 
twisted off at the base by the winds. Red raspberries can be set in rows 6 or 6 
feet apart; blacks from 6 to 7 feet apart, and purple varieties from 6 to 8 feet 
apart. The plants should be set late in the fall or early in the spring before 
the little germ, which makes the canes, has started to grow much. We have 
also had wonderful success in allowing the young shoots to get from 6 to 18 
Inches high before taking up and transplanting. In fact, the best field of rasp¬ 
berries we ever had was planted with these green plants, in late May or early 
June when plants were well started. In setting raspberry plants it is a good plan 
to provide for some loss, by tranching in a few extra plants to fill out vacancies 
later on, during wet, lowery spells. In round numbers, it takes about 2,000 
raspberry plants to set an acre. They yield from 2,000 to 5,000 quarts to the 
acre, more or less. The plants must be kept free from weeds by hand hoeing 
and horse cultivation, the first year; afterwards most of the work can be done 
by cultivator and one-horse plow. We nip the canes when one foot high, the 
first year, and when 18 inches to 2 feet high, the second year, which causes the 
bush to branch and produce its fruit near the ground. In trimming, take off 
about one-third of the growth in early spring every year. In fertilizing, use 
commercial fertilizers, not too rich in nitrogen. Use a brand analyzing, about 
2 per cent nitrogen to 10 per cent phos. acid and 10 per cent potash. If 500 
pounds of these goods are used on each acre per year, the field can be kept in 
profitable production for several years. Neglect the fertilizing and the first crop 
is the best and afterwards the plants rapidly deteriorate. 
Black Varieties 
Plum Farmer—At a meeting of the 
New York State Fruit Growers at Roch¬ 
ester, January 4, 1911, W. H. Alderman, 
Assistant Horticulturist at Geneva Ex¬ 
periment Station, read the following 
report on the Plum Farmer Raspberry: 
**Of all the named varieties . under test 
at the Geneva Station, Plum Farmer 
made the best showing in 1910. The 
plants are hardy, vigorous and produc¬ 
tive. the berries large, good In color and 
quality. It has already been grown in 
some localities and reports of Its behavior 
are very favorable. It should certainly 
be given a trial In all commercial planta¬ 
tions.” Nothing I could say myself would 
be more effective than above and it fully 
confirms what I have been saying for 
years—that Plum Farmer is by far the 
best black cap that has ever been intro¬ 
duced. I know of no single variety of 
fruit that pays growers so well In this 
locality. One lot of 90 crates, shipped 
from this locality, sold in New York City 
for over $600. The Plum Farmer has a 
peculiar history. It was found by us 
In a lot of plants received from Ohio some 
18 years ago. We have fruited It and 
so’d plants during all these years, and 
never have seen any other variety that 
near approached It In practical value, and 
have yet to meet the man who can hon¬ 
estly say that It is not superior to all 
other varieties. The plants are fine 
growers, being more free of diseases, 
peculiar to black caps, than other varie¬ 
ties, are hardy and when ripened in the 
fall have a clean silvery bluish appear¬ 
ance. When loaded with fruit they are a 
sight to behold. The berries ripen very 
early and most of the crop is produced in 
one week. The fruit is very large, thick 
meated and firm, making a good berry to 
evaporate or ship to distant markets. It 
is being planted In all the great rasp¬ 
berry growing sections from the Atlantic 
to the Pacific and is meeting with uni¬ 
versal favor. We have testimonials 
from leading fruit growers in all sections 
of the United States. Last year it was 
especially praised and commended at the 
annual meeting of the Wisconsin Horti¬ 
cultural Society. I know of no fruit that 
is in greater demand than black caps and 
if one has well drained soil to plant 
them on, they are sure to make great 
returns. Our black cap plants are grown 
on dry gravel and are entirely free of 
diseases. They will succeed when 
plants from heavy soils will succumb to 
disease. I tell you frankly that the 
plants of Plum Farmer we have to sell 
are worth double ordinary black cap 
plants. Price of No. 1 tip plants, 50c per 
26; $1.50 per 100: per 1000. Price of 
