The Columbus journal., 1895-01-23


tioa Of the Soil and Yields Thereof
Horticulture, viticultur~ and E1ori-
culture.
Culture Of Raspberrles.
lam often asked by letter how l man.
age Blackcaps in planting, cultivsting
and pruning. To answer each inquiry it
takes much time, and as many that
make inquiries are readers of the FARM
ERs' REVIEW, 1 answer through that
medium, and l hope to make the most
practical mode of planting and after
work SO plain that the novice in berry
growing will know of q certainty how
to proceed from start to finish, and all
inquiries may be fully answered. How
to plant-We should plant the rows
seven feet apart, and set the plants
three feet apart in the rows. Plant
rows north and south where practica-
BILE, but would rather plant east and
west than to plant up and down hill.
Well grown plants before taken up
occupy with their roots a circle of
about one foot in diameter. there
fore dig holes for plants at least one
foot across and several inches deeper
than the plants want to be set.
The setter draws some of the good
top soil back into the hole, leaving it
higher in the middle, and having it
deep enough to allow the sprout of
plant to be about two inches below
the surface, and let the long, small
roots slope downwards around the
center and fill fine soil on the roots
and press it down firm, but leave soil
mellow and rake after rains to prevent
crust from forming. Cultivate and
hoe often, but the steel rake is more
safe to use until plants are well up.
When plants have grown to be about
one foot high pinch from tips of lead
ing shoots about one and one half
inches to make them grow more stocky
and they will form better hills and not
grow SO low and sprawling. After
pinching tip back once, do not touch
it again that season, but let it grow
at will. Never tie to stakes.
If the soil is good, and good cultiva-
tion given, and plants were good to
start with, you will be surprised at
their great growth. 1t matters not
what form your vines may take, do not
touch them until the next spring, and
especially if you have planted the
Older, they will take care of them
selves, as far as winters winds and
cold are concerned, as they need no
our climate, north or south. The next
spring shorten in the canes to make a
compact hill, perhaps no larger than a
half bushel basket. As soon as
pruning is done each spring, keep
ground we'll cultivated, the more often
the better, until berries are nearly
ripe. Mulching put in at that time will
hold moisture and keep fruit clean.
The last of May or fore part of June,
one year from planting, the young
canes will spring up from the
hills, and when they are from
Is to "a inches high, according
to their strength and uprightness, cut
or pinch from their tops about one and
one half inches. Go over the patch
about every two days las the canes
grow up very quickly and pinch off all
canes as they get the right height. We
usually watch the patch for shoots
about ten days after we commence to
pinch back. We say again, never pinch
a cane but once, and we would about
as soon dig up the whole patch and
throw it into the brush pile as to neg
lect to pinch the canes at the right
time. After the pinching back is all
done they want no more pruning until
the next spring, except cutting out old
canes after fruiting. AS soon as the
crop of fruit is picked, remove all old
canes that fruited, cutting them off
near the ground, and carry out at once
and burn them. AS soon as old canes
are out cultivate at once, to be out of
the way Of young canes, and clean out
with hoe all weeds and grass
that may be among the hills.
In after years do as already advised,
but pinch back canes somewhat higher.
but leave them not over two and half
feet high, to get the greatest crop, and
stand winds without supports. As
hills get older, perhaps they may throw
up too many canes in a hill. In that
case, after removing old canes, cut out
all surplus ones, leaving the best and
strongest. often leave as many as
eight or ten, if even in size. The more
left the closer one has to prune. Four
strong canes with many laterals are
better than more. Shorten in canes
every spring to make good hill and
row, and not leave the canes too long
You will be more inclined to leave too
much wood rather than not enough.
There is no rule to lay down to prune
by, but to use our best judgment. After
a season or two of careful watching
we will learn what they need Differ
ent varieties need somewhat different
treatment, as some grow more
sprawling than others. The Older
will take on a better form of
row, of itself, than any other Black
cap that l have can be pruned to make.
The Older is the ideal bush, and no
other grows in so fine a form, neither
can they be pruned to grow like it,
and they give me more pleasure, salts
faction and profit. than any other that
l ever planted. Pruning-Last spring
to guard against wind storms. pruned
shorter than ever before, SO the hills
looked rather stumpy until the leaves
were out. The canes are very short
pointed and the frui: stems came out
in multitude, from five to ten inches in
length. At picking time the rows
were even and in good form. being
about three and half fee, high and
about four feet wide Or through, and
a mat Of berries spread over the whole
surface like a blanket. No picker
could pick over one row, sixteen rods
long, in ten hours: and last season was
poor one on account of late frosts,
high winds and burning drouth.
Pickers could not cross over from one
row to another, as they were unbroken
like hedge; they usually give us pick
ing from twelve to fourteen days. Nv
Oldest rows, some of them Is wears
old nFO6uce6 Tho ~