Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-08-30
4arm aaa 6oasebo!S.
Raspberries.

The canes Of raspberry plants should he
pinchcd off when they have attained the
height OF three and half or four feet.
This cause, them to produce branches
which gives more room for fruit buds the
next season; il also tends TO make them
grow strong and steady, 50 that they Will
he able 10 stand without stakes Three or
-four new shoot, are sufficient for one plant
\ large number will general, prove rather
detrimental than otherwise. The super
huous canes will not increase the yield Of
fruit, while they tend to make the berries
smaller and more difficult TO gather.
1t has almost universally been recommend
ed TO cut out the bearing canes, after they have
Welded their crop. Recently, however il has
been suggested that the shelter these afford
to the younger canes, makes il advisable 10
defer this work until the folowin. spring.
There is certainly more danger mutila;ing
the new growth by owing the Oh wood
in midsummer than if this work j. deferred
until the former j, thoroughly rpencd
1t may prove 4 relief 10 some % fin sane
lion for po>tponing TIL, disagreeable task
In no case however, should the delay be
abused. and this necessary work put III be-
yond It's proper time.
The labor required TO grow sufficient
raspberries to supply a family. is very
small. Il will seem like an exaggeratiun to
say this delicious fruit is as easily grown as
green peas yet if We stop to make the
computation, counting the planting Of the
latter crop each spring. the hocing. the
cutting. and sticking the brush. etc, we
shall find that the difference is not as great
theorist. but speak from experience. In the
spring of 1873, cleared out a corner of the
back yard, that for years had produced little,
except weeds. and set II out TO raspberry
plants; the varieties were Mammoth Cluster,
and Philadelphia. The summer following,
these plants supplied the family with berries,
and every wear since, from one, 10 three
families have obtained their supply Of rasp-
berries from these plants. Circumstances
have changed, and have left the old home,
but friendly letter, received only the other
day, made the pleasing remark The
raspberries are bearing good crop" The
plants have not always had good care but
they are doing duty four wears beyond their
allotted time. | do not remember the area
Of this little patch, but it does not exceed
TWO and half, by six rods. | mention this
10 show that il is not formidable under
taking to supply family with home grown
raspberries. have no record of the quarts,
or bushels Of fruit that have been gathered
from this little plat. but feel positive that
if the value were computed. at the price at
which the berries might lave been sold in
market it would have exceeded the value of
the labor expended in caring for the plants
Then, besides all this there was the luxury
Of having. in their season, plenty Of fresh
raspberries three times a day, oftener if
desired.
The mild and delicate flavor of the red
iAspbcilico A. W Hlpsl
people 10 the black varieties. Unfortunately
some of the finest sorts are not sufficiently
hardy TO endure our climate without winter
protection. Ii is not great amount of
trouble, it is true, to bend over the tops in
the fall, and throw little earth upon them,
but most people consider it too much to
afford. Our red varieties, with a few ex-
ceptiuns, have either been imported from
Europe, or have been grown from the seed
of the foreign varieties, which accounts for
their lack of hardness. There seems little
doubt that if the same care had been ex-
pended in improving our own wild raspberry
that has been used in raising the foreign
varieties to their present excellence, we
should have had varieties equal to the
foreign ones, in all respects, with the ad-
dition of entire hardness. There is plenty
of room for the amateur to work in this
direetion.-ELM, IN HuSJdndmon.