1696 The Cornell Reading-Courses 



second, to head back the new shoots to three or four feet in the spring. In 

 addition, many growers formerly practiced what is known as summer 

 pruning, or the pinching back of the new canes when they have reached 

 a height of two or three feet. This was done in order to make them branch, 

 as it was believed that a branched cane carried more fruit buds than a 

 straight cane. At the present time, however, this practice is not looked 

 upon with favor. It is necessary in the case of the black raspberry and 

 the blackberry, but with the red raspberry the operation seems to force 

 up too many suckers from the roots. The side branches that develop 

 are also often weak and immature. 



Summer pruning is now the exception rather than the rule, although 

 the few men who practice it are successful growers. They do the work 

 mostly in early July and, as a result, secure a low-branching bush. The 

 red raspberry patch seldom becomes unmanageable because of too vigorous 

 cane growth, and this is probably the reason why summer pruning is not 

 found necessary. 



It is occasionally recommended to leave the old canes until spring. 

 There seems to be no special advantage in doing this. The snow is not 

 heavy enough to break the new canes, nor are the winters severe enough 

 in New York to require this additional protection. 



The common practice in spring pruning is to cut off the tips as early 

 as possible, leaving the canes three or four feet high. In the case of the 

 Marlboro this pruning would be less severe, inasmuch as the plants of 

 this variety are naturally lower and more branching than those of the 

 Cuthbert. A few growers perform this operation in autumn after the 

 canes have matured, but it is not the best time. They do not remove 

 the frozen tips, which of course is done if spring pruning is practiced. 



Picking and marketing 



The patch should be picked over often. The fruit is soft and deterio- 

 rates quickly when overripe. The grower should never pick the fruit 

 when wet, and should be careful to take it from the bush without bruising. 

 It should be placed in the shade immediately and kept cool. 



In western New York the red raspberry is picked mainly in quart baskets 

 and placed in crates or carriers. Most of the fruit is sold to local commis- 

 sion men or to local buyers, although a few growers take the fruit directly 

 to the market. The local dealers ship the fruit mainly to Pittsburg, 

 Johnstown, and Rochester. 



Drying 



The red raspberry is sometimes dried, but not so often as is the black 

 raspberry. The shrinkage in the case of the red raspberry is too great 

 to warrant drying on a large scale A quart of fresh berries will make 



