The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-04-19
Raspberry CuIture-Mr. CEarks Sys-
TEN.

Onarga, noqUois county, is one
of the places in Illinois where they
have live, horticultural society,
composed Of practical fIuit-growers.
At the regular meeting on January
%, Mr.. John B. Clark read an essay
on the cultivation of the raspberry,
which is terse and yet comprehen-
siYe. The essayist said:
In the first place the land should
be rich. IF not naturally so it
should be wellmanured then plough
ed deep and narrowed fine. The
rows should be six feet apart, and
the plants set three feet apart in the
row. For this climate, I consider
the Black Cap the most profitable.
The Doolittle is the earliest. It
begins to ripen about the time that
strawberries are gone. The Miami
ripens a few days later, and I think
is more profitable than the DoolittIe.
The Purple Cane is a very prolific
bearer and a very good berry for
home use, but is too soft for ship
ping. OF the Black Caps, none but
young fall-laid roots should be
planted. The ground should be
marked out shallow, with a horse
plough, the proper distance apart.
set the plants with the germs up,
spreading out the roots and cover
ing with about two inches of dirt.
If set in the fall, throw a shovefuIl
of manure over each hill before
severe freezing weather comes on,
and draw it away from the roots In
the spring. As soon as they start
In the spring, work them out clean
with the cultiyator and hoe, and
keep them well worked through the
season. Cut back the stalks the
| first season to within one foot of the
crown. This severe pruning must
be resorted to the first season to in
sure strong, healthy bush after
wards. Some recommend cutting
away all the old canes as soon as
the fruit is gathered, but I prefer to
let the old canes stand until fall or
spring, as they afford partial sup
port to the new growth.
Some writers contend that cutting
away the old canes as soon as they
have done bearing viii seriously in
| jure the roots, for the reason thai
Such premature removal of the
old wood interferes with a very i'm.
portant habit of the bushes. They
say chat from the commencement
of the growing season until the
fruit is ripe, all the energies of the
bushes are concentrated to the &C
comphshment of this one object
the perfect development and ma
turity of the fruit. The circulation
of the sap has all been toward the
leaves. The roots are so exhausted
at this period-when the fruit il
fully ripe-that they are poorly
prepared, after having produced {
crop of fruit, to develop a new sys
tenn of canes for the following sea
son, if the old wood were cut away
AS soon as the fruit is gathered, thu
circulation of the sap is reversed, 81
that all the remaining energies o
the bushes are directed to thu
strengthening of roots. The leave
on the old canes play an importan
part in this operation as the sap il
them goes down into the roots be
fore the leaves are cast, to aid boil
in strengthening the roots and de
veloping new cane. Hence, if tn
old canes are cut away before tn
leaves have fallen, the hardness in
the bushes will be more or less in
jured. But, as soon as the leave
on the old canes are so much fadet
that they are about to drop, the oil
. canes may be removed without an,
injury to the future productivenes
, and hardness of the bushes.
1 After the first season the ne7
canes must be cut back to two o
three feet in height. I prefer tw
> feet, as it makes the canes muc
more stocky, and the -branche
? should be cut back within a foot c
, the main stalk. If this cutting-bac
process is thoroughly attended t
3 each season, they viii grow sui
! Gciently stocky to hold up their frui
: without the trouble of stalking, bt
} sides yielding double the amour
! of fruit. Mulch heavy in the ia
with any coarse litter.