The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-10-22

ted row system gives larger yields. II
this the plants are set from ten Il
twelve inches apart in rows four fee
apart. The runners are trimmed t.
make a matted row about two fee
Wide. The spaces between the rows
should be kept we'll cultivated during
the early part of the season and the
weeds pulled in the rows. After the
second year the runners can be allow
ed to fill these open spaces and the
original rows plowed up. In this way
the bed can be easily renewed and kept
bearing for several years. usually until
the land becomes so weedy that /,
must be plowed up and put in to some
other crop.
In cold climates the Strawberries
must be given some sort of winter
protection. The object of I 8 is not so
much to prevent freezing as to keep
the ground from that alternate freez-
Ing and thawing which cause heavinl
Of the plants. A mulch Of coarse horse
manure applied after the ground freezes
is excellent for this purpose, as 1t adds
fertility at the same time. In the
spring the straw caniee faxed up and
removed. One necessary precaution is
to be sure that the manure Is free
from weed seeds. I have seen straw
berry beds ruined because the mulch
contained timothy hay in which the
peeds were ripe enough to grow.
Raspberries and BIackberries.
Next to strawberries in Importance
are raspberries and blackberries. The
best soil for blackberries is about like
that for strawberries, while for rasp-
two kinds of raspberries most extern
sively grown in this country are red
and black. The red raspberry is propa-
gated by shoots which grow Up from
the roots. One-year-old shoots are
preferable for planting. The rows
should be at least four feet apart, with
the plants two feet apart in the row.
Frequent and thorough cultivation is
necessary to keep down the suckers
which grow up from the roots. 1t is a
good plan to plow the ground between
the rows every spring.
Black raspberries do not send up root
shoots. They are propagated by bury
ing the tips Of the shoots in the ground
some time In August These take root
and produce new plants, which can be
transplanted the following spring. The
black raspberries are more rank in
their habits Of growth and should be
planted farther apart than the red va.
rieties. Planting every three feet in
rows seven to eight feet apart is a
good distance. They should receive
thorough cultivation in the same man.
ner as the red sorts.
The application Of a coat Of manure
between the rows in the fall will ma
terially increase the yield Of all small
fruits. Pruning is also important.
Blackberry and raspberry shoots bear
but once, so in the spring all those
which produced fruit the season be-
fore should be cut out. Black rasp-
berry shoots should have the tip nip
ped of when they are about eighteen
inches high. This causes lateral
branches to form and greatly increases
the yield. The same treatment should
be given to blackberries. After about
four good crops of raspberries have
been secured the patch should be plow-
ed up and a new one started some
where else.
Blackberries are usually propagated
by suckers. The distance apart Is
about four feet in the row, with rows
seven feet apart. The proper depth to
set the plants is about four inches. 1t
is a common practice to plant row Of
potatoes or some other vegetable be-
tween the blackberry rows the first
season. This can also be done with
black raspberries. About four or five
blackberry shoots are all that should
be allowed to grow up the first sea-
son. After that the number may be
gradually increased. A well establish
ed blackberry patch will last six or
seven years. The yields that may be
secured depend largely upon the fire.