The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-05-16


this tie plants are set from ten to
twelve inches apart in rows four feet
apart The runners are trimmed to
make matted row about two feet
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
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 1t
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 this is not so
much to prevent freezing as to keep
the ground from that alternate freez-
ing and thawing which cause heaving
| 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 can be raked up and
removed. One necessary precautiOn is
| to be sure that the manure is free
from weed seeds. l have seen straw
berry beds ruined because the mulch
contained timothy hay in which the
seeds We're ripe enough to grow.
Raspberries and Blackberries.
Next to strawberries in Importance
are raspberries and blackberries The
that for Strawberries, while for rasp
berries it may be little heavier. The
two kinds of raspberries most exten-
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 fr
their habits of growth and should be
planted farther apart than the red va
rieties Planting every three feet il
rows seven to eight feet apart is
good distance They should receive
thorough cultivation in the same man
ner as the red sorts
The application Of 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 bea1
but once, so in the spring all thos'
which produced fruit the season be
fore should be cut out Black raSp
berry shoots should have the tip nip
ped off when they are about eightee1
:. inches high This causes latera
. branches to form and greatly increase
the yield The same treatment shoul
be given to blacEberries After abor
four good crops Of raspberries hay
! been secured the patch should be ploW
+ ed IN and new one started some
b where else.
Blackberries are usually propagate
:, by suckers The distance apart
:. about four feet in the row. with row
g seven feet apart The proper depth
set the plants is about four inches.
is a common practice to plant row {
potatoes or some other vegetable b.
=, tween the blackberry rows the firs
!, season. This can also be done wit
. black raspberries. About four or fly
blackberry shoots are all that shoul
be allowed to grow up the first Sc;
> son. After that the number may
gradually increased A well establis
ed blackberry patch will last six I
= seven years The yields that may
) secured depend largely upon the fr