North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Glenn & Kathy Russell" <GlennAndKathy2@cox.net>]

Hi fuwa fuwa usagi-
        Actually, now that I wrote this reply, I'm not sure who made the
original inquiry!  Anyway...
        "I'm in zone 5. We're looking at a red raspberry and a purple one,
and  
maybe a golden one"
        You think like me.  Currently I have about 8 different varieties,
and one of my goals is also to stagger the harvest as much as possible.  
        I don't have any purple varieties, though I may change that this
year.  As for yellow varieties, after lurking around the GardenWeb Fruit &
Orchard site for the last couple years, I see that people are recommending
Anne for flavor.  Kiwi Gold for Vigor.  And people don't seem to be
recommending Fall Gold anymore (all due respect to tfb).  I love my Kiwi
Gold's... they are probably the most vigorous of all my raspberries.  But, I
am planning on adding Anne this year.  Strangely, Kiwi Gold is seems to be
harder to find these days, though my local nursery still carries it.
        I like thornless varieties in blackberries better than raspberries.
(You are doing blackberries too aren't you?)  In identical beds, my
thornless Joan J raspberries seem to be about half as vigorous as my
Prelude's.  The raspberry thorns really aren't that terrible.  But,
blackberry thorns can be vicious.
        As for your first year's harvest... I think you can actually get
some berries.  Again, my Prelude's were new last year, and they just kept
bearing and bearing and bearing and bearing.  Granted, it was only the 5
canes, but if you were doing 100, then I think you could actually get quite
a few.  Enough to sell?  No.  Enough for you to do some good munching?  I
think so.  Here's a pic of my 5 new Prelude's in their first season.  
http://inlinethumb34.webshots.com/8225/2924576440015790651S600x600Q85.jpg

        Although I deal with plenty of other issues with my apples and other
fruits, I find that the raspberries tend to be almost care free.
Thankfully, unlike William in Nebraska, neither the birds, nor the squirrels
bother my raspberries here in RI.  Perhaps it's because of all the wild
blackberries we have around.  In the last 4 years, I have not had any
problem with viruses even though there are tons of wild blackberries only a
few feet away.
        On the Garden web, I found that almost always, people recommend
Caroline over Heritage.  There is one active person now though, Harvestman,
who does prefer good ol' Heritage.
        Definitely go with Everbearing Fall varieties over the summer
varieties.  Why wait an extra year for your berries!  For some of my fall
varieties, I simply mow them down and get one crop.  Others, I leave them up
and prune them in the spring, and get 2 crops.
        My favorite place to buy raspberries is www.noursefarms.com.  I've
never seen anyone ever say anything bad about them.  Last time I looked,
they had a perfect rating on Garden Watchdog.
        The varieties that I have, in my order from favorite to least
favorite are:  Prelude, KiwiGold, Caroline, Autumn Britten, Heritage, Polana
(&Reveille which I can't rate because, being a summer berry, it will fruit
for the first time this year).  Also, my Polana doesn't get a fair shake...
it's in 80% shade.
        Good luck, Have fun,
                -Glenn