BLUEBERRY CULTURE 



11 



To prune bearing bushes correctly, one must know their bearing habit. The 

 fruit buds are borne on the terminal part of the .shoots. They form in the axils 

 of leaves during the summer, remain dormant during the winter, then blocm and 

 produce fruit the next summer. Fig. 7 shows shoots with their fruit buds (a) 

 and leaf buds (b). 



The pruning treatment of the different varieties varies according to the charac- 

 ter of their growth. Those producing many shoots from the base require more 

 thinning out of this growth than those with few such shoots. Varieties branching 

 freely need more top thinning than those with few branches. Varieties whose 

 shoots have fruit buds on the terminal two-thirds or three-fourths require more 

 cutting back than varieties whose shoots have fruit buds on the terminal third 

 or fourth only. The following outline of pruning practice is given as a general 

 guide; not as a set of rules. 



First, remove or cut back a few of the older stems such as (b) in Fig. 5. These 

 stems after they are three or four years old, tend to produce short, weak shoots 

 and small berries. 



Second, remove all branches which are so near the ground that their fruit 

 will get dirty. 



Figure 6. Kubel — After Pruning. 

 (aj Desirable new shoot.s growing from the base of the plant. 



