290 



PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PRUNING 



much wood and far too little and too small fruit. The 

 fruit deteriorates in size and quality and harvesting becomes 

 a difficult and painful operation. To handle the plants 

 properly the amount of wood must be vigorously con- 

 trolled or the fruit 

 will be inferior. 

 Just how this is 

 done is of minor 

 consequence to 

 the actual doing 

 of it. 



Since fruit is 

 borne on wood of 

 all ages except the 

 present season's 

 and the oldest, 

 wide latitude may 

 be allowed for 

 pruning; yet the 

 best fruit is pro- 

 duced on last 

 year's wood. Two- 

 year and three- 

 year wood also 

 bears good fruit, 

 but older than 

 this shows deteri- 

 oration. Hence 

 commercial grow- 

 ers usually allow 

 not more than 

 three crops to be 

 borne on the canes, 

 which are gen- 

 erally cut out and burned immediately after harvest. Two 

 or three shoots are allowed to develop annually from the 

 base of the bush to replace the wood cut out, all weak 



FIG. 248 



POPULAR S~YLES OF BLACKBERRY TRAINING 

 1, Canes of trailing type on two-wire trellis. 2, Four- 

 *ire trellis for trailing vines. 3, Upright canes on two 

 wires. 4, Canes of upright type on single wire. 5, Post- 

 method used for upright canes. 



