PLANTING LOGAN AND RASPBERRIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 137, 11 June 1932, Page 6 (Supplement)

PLANTING LOGAN AND RASPBERRIES.

Tho loganberry] so named after its raiser, Judge Logan, is a hybrid between (lie blackberry and raspberry. It is similar in many respects to both its parents, but inclines more towards the raspberry. Its culture is similar in most details to that given for raspberries, but it does better and gives bettor results over a larger range of country. Tlic raspberry, owing to its method of growing and flowering, is more suited to cold districts where there is a distinct winter season, and if grown in climates such as about Auckland its habit of suckcring and flowering almost makes it a weed, and as it docs not lose its foliage is always growing, and consequently it is difficult to get it 1o fruit satisfactorily. The loganberry in this respect is more like the blackberry. It is evergreen in warm districts and carries its fruits in a.similar manner. It gives much more siiliafaetory results in mild districts iliiin the raspberry. The fruit of the logui Try is darker in colour, the pips larger, more acid in flavour, and carried in larger bunches than the raspberry. The ground for either should be well prepared and of good quality so far as manure is concerned. Liko tho strawberry, it requires plenty of manure and the result of the crop is dependent upon a large available food supply during tho growing season. They depend chiefly upon surface roots, and digging with a spade should not be done within two feet of the plants. During tho summer a mulching of some moisture-retaining material is also essential. Stable manure is best as a mulching material owing to its supplying plant food, but if this is not available Rome material such as lawn clippings, old leaves, etc., must be used and supplemented by other manures. Plants should be obtained from a good fruiting strain, and in the case of loganberries they should be grown from layerfi, preferably "tips. -. Plant in rows at least six feet apart, and the plants about three feet apart. The first year after planting the plants should be cut down to within a few inches of the soil. This will cause the production of strong canes from the ground level. The best method of training is on a wire trellis. The top wire should be about five feet from the ground and tho lowest about two feet. There will need to be other wires a foot apart between these two. The canes are best tied in a sloping direction., and then a length of cane up to six feet can be tied in. After cultivation and pruning consists in encouraging as many of these stout growths each vear a.s possible, and to allow them room* the old growths that have fruited ehould be cut out. Although the loganberry will fruit on these old canes, the best result is obtained from the young canes produced the previous summer. As regards manure, a mixture of four parts super, two of bonedust, and one of sulphate of potash, allowing from 4oz to Soz of the mixture to each bush, should be applied in winter, and this should bo supplemented by sulphate of ammonia, allowing about loz per plant, and applied in August and again in November. In the year of planting it would be advisable to add the manure a week or so before the plants are put in.