They require no pruning for the first few years after planting. 
But, when plants are halt grown or get dense and overbear, thus 
producing an inferior size of fruit, then trim out the weak 
branches. As a tertilizer, a mulch of oak leaves or peat moss 
is excellent. Plant 4x4 feet apart each way. 
IMPORTANT—Blueberries require acid soil. If the nature 
of the soil is not acid, we strongly urge you to refrain from plant- 
ing them if you wish to avoid tuture dissatisfaction. 
We noted several instances where gardeners went through 
great efforts and heavy expenses to prepare a bed for Blueberries 
by turning sweet soil to acid. Frankly, the first year, the plants 
produced an amazing crop of extra large berries of the finest 
quality. ‘Lhe following years, the crop was very discouraging 
tor the Blueberry bushes lost their vitality and the fruit crop was 
small and scanty. Why? Because, regardless how much one 
tries to change alkaline soil to acid, it 1s in vain, for the simple 
reason rains or other elementary influences which are uncon- 
scious to the human eye, washes away the acid contents present 
in the soil and three or four weeks later turns the soil back to 
its original alkaline state. 
Undoubtedly, you know when it tains, soils mever_ re- 
main stationary, so it is only logical that the large area of sweet 
soil will gradually mix with the nearby small area of acid soil 
causing it to result to alkaline. 
But, if you insist on planting Blueberries, then choose an ele- 
vated location so that the rains cannot wash surrounding sweet 
soils into that area specially prepared with acid contents for the 
growth of Blueberries. 
RASPBERRIES 
Should be planted four feet apart each way. In training, al- 
low only a few canes to grow from each plant, cutting away 
all suckers to throw the strength into the stalks for bearing; all 
old canes should be removed when the bearing season is over. 
A good gravelly soil, or a deep moist loam is generally con- 
sidered best tor the raspberry, yet the plants do well on light or 
even sandy loam, and on such soil the fruit will ripen some days 
earlier. The red varieties should not be placed on hard, clayey 
land, nor on low, wet soil. The black varieties do very well on 
claying soil. 
Newly set plants should be hoed or cultivated quite frequent- 
ly, especially early in the season, as it is important that a good 
start should be obtained the first year. It is important that all 
weeds should be kept down the first as well as the following 
seasons. Cultivate very shallow to prevent injury to the roots. 
Old stable manure is the best fertilizer for general use. On 
light soils it is best to apply it as a mulch. 
The first season only two or three shoots: or canes should be 
allowed to grow from each root or hill. In midsummer, when 
the canes have reached a height of about two feet, the top should 
be pinched off with the thumb and finger. This will cause the 
canes to throw out laterals. These branches should likewise 
be cut back when they have made a growth of about one foot 
from the canes. If this summer pruning is neglected until the 
bushes get to be three or four feet high, shears should be used 
to cut them back to within two and one-half feet of the ground. 
It is not necessary to head in all varieties during the summer. 
Some prefer driving a stake in each hill to which the bushes 
can be tied to keep them from dropping to the ground when 
fruiting. The bushes can be allowed to grow, and in the late 
fall the surplus suckers and the old fruit canes can be cut out, 
and the suckers that are left for the next year’s crop cut back to 
within two and one-half feet of the ground. 
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