PRUNING BRAMBLES 323 



ri> x ami Knxiln >//< x 



Blackberries, raspberries and dewberries bear 

 on raiirs which grew the preceding year, and, 

 having borne once, these canes become worthless 

 (read page 64). Pruning of these fruits consists 

 (1) in removing superfluous shoots from the base 

 of the plant, so that too many canes shall not 

 form (five or six to a plant usually being suffi- 

 cient); (2) in heading-back the shoots when 

 they reach the desired height, causing them to 

 throw out laterals and to become stocky ; (3) 

 heading -back these laterals (usually done the 

 next spring, before growth starts) ; (4) cutting 

 out the canes after they have borne (usually done 

 the following winter or spring, but should be 

 don*-, in general, soon after the fruit is off). 



Of blackberries, the growing eaues should be headed- in, 

 two to four inches of the tips cut off, when they are 

 from two and a -half to three feet high. It will be neces- 

 sary to go over the plantation three or four times for this 

 purpose, ;is the different canes reach the desired height 

 at different times. Laterals will now push out vigorously, 

 but these are allowed to grow their full length. Early 

 the following spring, these laterals are shortened. Then- 

 is no rule respecting the proper length to leave these 

 laterals. Sometimes they are injured by the winter, and 

 must be cut-in short. And there is great difference in 

 varieties in the way in which they bear their fruit; some 

 kinds, like Wilson Early, bear the fruit close to the cane, 

 while others, like Snyder and Early Harvest, should be 

 cut longer. Some varieties are variable in their habit of 



