Staking and Trellising 19 



long. Poles at right angles to the teeth serve for shafts 

 and a bow is attached to the head-piece for handling it. 

 By means of such a tool the canes can readily be gathered 

 into piles in the rows, from whence they can be loaded on 

 a hay-rack and drawn away. Gathering them by hand 

 is slow and expensive work. 



For the spring pruning of brambles, which consists 

 chiefly of cutting back the laterals, light, quick and easy- 

 working shears are needed. If the canes are not too large 

 and dry, a pair of sheep-shears works well. For nipping 

 back the new growth in summer a long-bladed knife or 

 sickle with a keen edge will be found convenient, especially 

 on young bushes. On older plants these new shoots are 

 shielded by the older canes so that they are not so readily 

 reached with a stroke of the knife. Sheep-shears or the 

 thumb and finger are better under those conditions. 



It is best to go over the plantation at several different 

 times if the pinching-back plan is followed. This ought 

 to be done when the shoots reach the right height. If 

 allowed to grow taller, then cut back, the laterals do 

 not push forth so vigorously. If only the tip is removed 

 from a tall shoot, the result will be a top-heavy bush which 

 will not hold up its fruit well. 1 



STAKING AND TRELLISING 



Many home growers, and in some localities even com- 

 mercial growers, believe it profitable to use stakes or 

 trellises of some sort to support the plants of different 



1 For full discussion of the principles and practice of pruning, con- 

 sult " The Pruning-Manual " by L. H. Bailey. 



