The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-04-19
Raspberry Culture-Mr. Clarks Sys'
TEN.

Onarga, Iroquois county, Is one
Of the places in illinois where they
have q live, horticultural society,
composed OF practical fruit-growera.
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-
sive. The essayist said
In the first place the land should
be rich. If not naturally so it
shouldbe well MANFRED thenplough-
cd deep and narrowed fine. The
rows should be six feet apart, and
the plants set three feet apart in the
row. Fol- this climate, l consider
the Black Cap the most profitable.
The DoolittIe is the earliest. 1t
begins to ripon about the time that
strawberries are gone. The Miami
ripens a few days later, and / think
is more profitable than the Doolittle.
Tho Purple Cane is 81 very prolific
bearer and q very good berry for
home use, but is too soft Tor ship
ping. OF the Black Caps, none but
young fall-laid roots should he
planted. The ground should be
marked out shallow, with q 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 sot in the fall, throw n shovefull
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 cultivatowand hoe, and
keep them we'll worked through the
season. Cut back the stalks the
first season to within ono foot Of tho
crown. This severe pruning must
be rosorted to the first season to in
sure a strong, healthy bush after
wards. Some recommend cutting
away all the old canes Us soon as
the fruit is gathered, but | prefer to
let the old canes stand until fall or
spring, as they afford q partial sup
port to the new growth.
Some writers contend that cutting
away the old canes rs soon as they
have done bearing will seriously in
jure the roots, for the reason hat
Such a premature removal OF the
old wood interferes with q 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
complishment 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 is
fully ripe-that they are poorly
prepared, after having produced a
crop OF fruit, to develop u new sys-
TEN Of canes for the following sea-
son, if the old wood were cut away.
AS soon rs the fruit is gathered, the
circulation of the snp is reversed, 80
that all the remaining energies Of
the bushes arc directed to the
strengthening Of roots. The leaves
on the old canes play an important
part in this operation as the sap in
them goes down into the roots be-
fore the leaves are cast, to aid both
in strengthening tho roots and de-
veloping new cane. Hence, if the
old canes are cut away before the
leaves have fallen, the hardness in
tho bushes will be more or less in
jured. But, as soon as the leaves
on the old canes are 80 much faded
that they are about to drop, the old
canes may be removed without any
injury to the future productiveness
and hardness of the bushes.
After the frat season the new
canes must be cut back to two or
three feet in height. 1 prefer two
feet, as it makes the canes much
more stocky, and the ide-branches
should be cut back within a foot of
the main stalk. II this cutting-back
process is thoroughly attended to
each season, they will grow suf-
~iciently stocky to hold up their fruit
without the trouble Of stalking, be-
sides yielding double the amount
Of fruit. Mulch heavy in the fall
| with any coarse litter.