m THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



shortest-jointed canes should be selected and instead of cutting them all level above the 

 stake, as shown in JV, which is certain to result in the fruit being produced from the 

 upper part only, they may be shortened to different lengths (0). The two weakest canes 

 may be shortened to 15 or 18 inches, two of the medium to 2^ feet, and the remaining 

 two or three to a plump bud above the top of the stake. The result of this is seen in 

 Fig. 53 (page 210), namely, fruit nearly from the ground to a height of 5 feet more 

 or less, according to the vigour of the canes and the variety. In hot dry summers the 

 finest fruits will be found towards the bottom, because slightly shaded, and in all cases 

 the practice secures a longer succession of fruit. 



3. Arching the bearing canes. In staking, neatness and cleanliness for the fruit are 

 secured, but many of the fruit buds are crushed, and the young canes come up close to 

 the old, so that many of the lower bearing branchlets are injured by the shade. This is 

 contrary to the natural habit of the raspberry, for bearing canes are depressed by the 

 weight of fruit and the young shoots grow upright. The best mode of training is that 

 which allows the young shoots to grow straight from the rootstock. Arching the canes 

 from stool to stool possesses the merit of giving full advantage alike to the bearing 

 as to the successional canes, and the fruit is kept clean. Three or four of the strongest 

 canes from each stool are bent down and brought together so as to cross midway of the 

 distance between the stools at a height of 2 to 4 feet, according to their vigour, and 

 are there secured with string, the canes being shortened to good buds beyond the 

 crossing. Stakes '2\ to 3 feet in length answer for all but the strong-growing 

 varieties. Some growers form a semicircular arch by overlapping the canes a foot 

 or more and dispense with stakes, but these are a great advantage, as shown in the 

 illustration, P, Fig. 55, next page. 



By this in fact every method it is important to secure strong, well- ripened succes- 

 sional canes, otherwise they will not be of sufficient length for bending over, nor sturdy 

 and well ripened to produce fine fruit. Two suckers from the base of a bearing cane 

 are sufficient, all the others being removed whilst quite small. Correct practice is repre- 

 sented in Q : the fruiting cane () receives abundance of light to its base, while the 

 successional canes (o) receive the full forces of the rootstock and become sturdy, conse- 

 quently capable of bearing fruit abundantly in the following year. When a forest of 

 suckers spring from the rootstock and creeping roots, as shown in R, and all are allowed 

 to remain, the bearing branchlets from the fruiting cane (p) are deprived of light and 

 uir at the lowei pait and produce little fruit, whilst the successional canes (q) only 



