July 2, 1999

     Raspberries

Almost everyone likes the taste of fresh raspberries, and, luckily, they are one of the easiest fruits to grow.  They produce abundantly, and one grower figures that each foot of a row produces a pint of berries during the season.

Raspberries blossom late and are seldom bothered by frost.  They can usually be grown without spraying, they take a minimum amount of care, and they are easy to pick without bending over.  In addition to these desirable features, there are many varieties and cultivars suitable for almost every section of the country.  The raspberry is a nearly perfect fruit.

The English name "raspberry" comes from the thorny canes of the shrubs that may "rasp" you.  The plant grows wild from the arctic to the equator, wherever there is enough moisture.  Raspberry fruit is an aggregate fruit; that is, each of the little bumps in the berry is a tiny fruit itself, complete with a seed and fleshy covering.  The berries should be picked as soon as they will slip off the core without breaking the texture of the berry.  The patches should be picked thoroughly every day and all berries that will slip from the core removed.  If the picker overlooks a berry that is ready to be picked, it will be overripe the next day.