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              My second year  of Joan J raspberries  some stems just die of
               but the rest of the plant looks healthy.
                Any body  got any reason why.
                                                            Horatio                 

Welcome to A4A  Horatio.

Did you prune off last year's fruiting wood? That dies and this year's new growth takes it's place for fruiting.

Sometimes plants take a year or two to fully settle into a new home and will often adjust growth accordingly.

I don't think your problem is too serious. Tidy up your Joan J's by cutting out any dead/dying canes leaving the healthy canes to grow stronger.

Isn't Joan J an autumn variety? In which case you'd cut all the stems down to the ground in winter.

On the subject of raspberries, mine are being completely eaten ( the leaves that is) and all that is left is a leaf skeleton. The culprits are a tiny caterpillar, any ideas?

Could it be those dying off Joan J canes have been damaged by strong winds or lack water? Maybe if the others are healthy it's nothing to worry about, as Ed says.

Re caterpillars- Oh yes that happens every year on my garden raspberries. Well not every cane is affected, but the ones which are turn to lace. But i still get fruit. No idea if it saps strength for next year's crop though.

I see birds taking caterpillars, and the damage only takes place over a short time so I ignore it.

Do you feel it's affecting your crop?

Welcome to A4A Horatio. 

Joan J autumn variety.  Cropping now.   Nice big fruits. yum yum, 

I cut them down in Feb and mulched with leaf mould and straw.   I left a few to fruit early and these have now died down.  They did not do very  well fruit rather small.  So I will not leave any next year.