284 



PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING 



lowed to grow in one season, all in excess of this num- 

 ber should be cut out not later than the time of the re- 

 moval of the old bearing canes. The remaining canes 

 will be larger and stronger because of the thinning. 



The systems of training vary in accordance with con- 

 ditions in various sections of the country. In some sec- 

 tions where the plants do not grow large and where the 

 soil does not wash, the new canes may be pinched off 

 with the fingers when they reach a height of not more 

 than 2*/2 feet. When the bushes are very vigorous, the 

 height may be increased to 3 feet. As the canes do not 

 all reach the height of 2^2 feet at the same time, the 



FIG. 242 BLACK RASPBERRY BEFORE PRUNING 

 The pruning hook shows the relative height before and (Fig. 243) after. 



plantation must be gone over several times at frequent 

 intervals. The pinching causes the canes to branch 

 [comparatively low] and to be better able to stand erect 

 with a heavy crop of berries. 



Even when this method of training is used, the canes 

 may be bent over and broken either by tillage imple- 

 ments or by the pickers, the number of canes and the 

 quantity of fruit being thus materially reduced. Under 



