Raspberry Industry Threatened by Disease 
Seventeen years ago the raspberry industry was in serious danger of 
passing out of existence. The so-called running out diseases had become so 
prevalent that it was no longer profitable to grow raspberries. Newly set 
plantings would last only two or three seasons. Low yields of poor quality, 
crumbly berries, were the rule. Consumers of raspberries recognized the 
low quality and the demand for this fruit was falling off. There was no way 
known to control these particularly destructive diseases. The trouble seemed 
to be in the sap of the plants and the diseases increased every time new 
plants were propagated. There was practically no healthy planting stock 
to be had anywhere. 
Agricultural Research Supplies the Remedy 
Plant disease specialists of the U. S. Department of Agriculture and 
the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station were asked to aid in finding 
a solution of the raspberry disease problem. They found, first of all, 
that the “running-out” diseases were caused by plant viruses. These viruses 
were found to multiply again and again in the plant sap. They were be- 
yond reach of any of the ordinary control practices, such as spraying. 
Once a plant became diseased it could not be cured. Unfortunately the 
diseased plant did not die immediately, but lingered on for several years, 
providing a constant source of infection for other plants. New plants 
propagated from diseased parents were inevitably diseased also. 
With all this in mind the disease specialists realized that the only 
practical remedy was to provide raspberry growers with a source of healthy 
planting stock. Accordingly they selected the most disease-free stock ob- 
tainable and by careful inspection and rogueing gradually developed, over 
a several year period, a foundation stock which was relatively disease-free. 
This was distributed to a number of raspberry growers who were willing 
to cooperate in the fight on disease. The process of inspection and rogue- 
ing was continued 
by the disease spe- 
cialists until a size- 
able stock of heal- 
thy plants of sever- 
al varieties was de- 
veloped. Then in 
192 Jeet ive = Onio 
Small Fruit Im- 
provement Associ- 
ation was formed 
as a Cooperative or- 
ganization to grow 
and sell healthy 
raspberry stock. 
Plantings such as this are the source of Registered Plants 
(Page Two) 
