The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-05-15

have to be marketed from the bush
as soon as ripe confines their cultiva-
ton to the vicinity of large centers of
consumption, where climatic and soil
conditions favor their development.
The blacn raspberry industry, how
ever, can be profitably and success
fully carried on in regions more re-
mote from the centers of consumption,
because of the fact that a large pro-
portion of the fruits is evaporated and
sold in dry state, there being ready
sale for them when handled in this
way.
The black raspberry, under favora-
BILE conditions, is a strong, vigorous
growing plant, making canes armed
with stiff prickers and bearing it's
fruit upon shoots of one years growth
that is, the shoots which grow one
year bear their fruit the succeeding
spring. The fruit of this berry is borne
in dense terminal clusters, and in most
varieties is retained upon the plant
even after it becomes fully ripe. This
characteristic renders it possible to
gather the fruit in a very inexpensive
fashion. The black raspberry is as
we'll adapted for marketing from the
vines as is the red raspberry. 1t is
more rigid in character and retains
it's form better For this reason it is
not necessary to use small sized re-
ceptacles for placing these berries
upon the market, quart boxes, prefer
ably made of wood being the most
suited Another advantage of the
black raspberry over the red for COM
s.1 ;c hot &c, moi CO
weedy in it's habit of growth. 1t does
not throw up root sprouts, as does
the red berry, and for that reason is
more easily kept within bounds. 1t
can also be more easily handled in
check rows when desired but in COM
mercial plantations this is seldom
done. Usually the plants are set COM
paratively close together in rows which
are generally wide apart and cultiva-
ton practiced one way only.
The black raspberry is propagated
only from stolons or layers. In order
to secure new plants the tips of the
branches are carried to the ground
by bending the bush down somewhat,
and the tips are slightly covered with
earth during the month of August,
after which they take root readily.
The rooted tips are usually left at
tached to the parent stalk until the
following spring, when the branch is
cut six or eight inches above the sur
face of the ground, the roots being
lifted, tied in punches and stored for
use or carried to the place where they
are to be replanted. They should
have a rather rich clay loan, as it is
in this character of soil where they
thrive best. Sandy soils, or those
which are gravelly, do not give suffi-
GENTLY vigorous growth to make COM
mercial planting profitable, unless
heavily enriched by manuring and fer
tilizing The soil should be we'll drain
ed. Under natural conditions they are
found usually where the soil is some
what stony in character and provided
with good natural drainage. The prep
aration of the soil for black raspber-
ries should be the same as for any
small fruit, preferably one or two sea-
sons preparatory tillage in some hoed
crop, as this will to a very large extent
rid the land of weeds. Such crops as
potatoes, beans, peas and plants of
this nature are good preparatory crops.
The distance apart at which black
raspberries should be set must be de-
tarmined tO an extent nv local cOndi-