Pruning and Training 



berry should not be pruned in autumn or winter, 

 and this is a common mistake in garden practice. 



The fruit is produced on the young one-year old 

 canes, and these should be completely cut out 

 immediately after the fruit is gathered. 



The weakest of the new canes should also be re- 

 moved, leaving about four or five to each plant, and 

 these should not be touched until March in the 

 following year. The unripe tips can then be removed 

 and injury by frost is thus avoided. The wood of 

 roses and raspberries is very pithy, wet is quickly 

 absorbed at the cut end, and if the pruning is done 

 in winter " Jack Frost " will often prune back much 

 farther than is desirable. Use secateurs for both 

 gooseberries and raspberries. 



WOUNDS AND BROKEN BRANCHES. 



These hints on Winter Pruning would not be 

 complete without a reference to the dangerous 

 practice of leaving ragged wounds and broken 

 branches on fruit trees. 



Silver-leaf disease, Canker fungus, Coral-spot and 

 Woolly Aphis may all find a home in such places. 



Wounds should be trimmed with the help of a 

 sharp knife and then dressed with coal tar. 



A saw with wide- set teeth is generally used to 

 cut out big broken branches or branches which are 

 not required, and these saw cuts should also be 

 trimmed and tarred. Note also that a small saw 

 cut should first be made on the under-side of large 

 branches which are to be removed, otherwise the. 

 weight of the branch will carry it down when the 

 cut made from the upper side is nearly through, 

 stripping the bark from the stem of the tree and 

 thus making a nasty wound. 



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