BUSH FRUIT PRODUCTION 



practice varies from no cutting back at all to 

 severe pruning, which enables the canes to 

 stand erect without support under the weight 

 of a full crop. Most growers cut the canes 

 back to a height of three to five feet, depend- 

 ing on their vigor. 



Very severe cutting back reduces the yield 

 and delays ripening. Gardeners sometimes 

 take advantage of this method of delaying the 

 harvest, and provide a supply of raspberries 

 well past the normal season by pruning a part 

 of the row severely. 



Thin Out the Row — It usually is neces- 

 sary at the time of the spring pruning to thin 

 the canes, also. Each cane must be given 

 room to branch and bear fruit. It should have 

 several inches clear in each direction. Suckers 

 which have appeared outside the rows and 

 have escaped the cultivator should be re- 

 moved. See illustrations Nos. 2 and 3. 



Remove Old Canes — ^As soon as the canes 

 have borne their crop, they may be removed 

 or they may be left until pruning time in the 

 following spring. Immediately following the 

 harvest season the canes are more easily cut 

 off, insects and diseases borne by them are re- 

 moved, and the new canes are given more 

 room to develop. In regions where heavy 

 snows sometimes break the canes the old tops 

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