WIJS^TEB INJURY 57 



HARDINESS 



As a rule the reds do not equal the black- caps in 

 hardiness, though some varieties are seldom injured in 

 favorable locations in the middle latitude of the United 

 States. It seems probable that the lack of hardiness 

 as frequently comes from want of ability in the leaves 

 to endure the hot suns of summer as from lack of ability 

 in the canes to endure the cold of winter. If by any 

 means the function of the foliage during the growing 

 season becomes impaired, the vitality of the plant is 

 lessened, and it goes into winter poorly prepared to 

 meet the conditions laid upon it during that period. 

 Hence it seems but reasonable that lack of hardiness 

 or winter -killing may result from insect or fungous 

 injury inflicted during summer, as well as from un- 

 favorable climatic conditions. It is an interesting 

 fact that small, late -growing canes generally stand the 

 winter better than the more vigorous ones of the whole 

 season's growth. Cuthbert canes produced at the Cor- 

 nell gardens, after cutting away all young canes July 

 6, 1892, came through the winter in better condition 

 than the earlier, undisturbed canes in the other part of 

 the same row. These later canes were alive to the tip 

 in spring, and at the time the leaves were opening 

 they were more uniformly green and farther advanced 

 than the others. They produced fine fruit, but since 

 they are smaller than canes of the full season's growth, 

 the yield might be less. One Iowa grower reports 

 that in two seasons^ trial, blackberry canes produced 

 after pulling up all young shoots about the last of 



