52 Bush-Fruits 



It has been suggested that removing the regular bearing 

 canes in spring would encourage this late-fruiting habit. 

 A single experiment was made by the author, many years 

 ago, on the grounds of The Cornell University Horticul- 

 tural Department. Plants of Fontenay, Cuthbert and 

 Shaffer were mowed off with a scythe in the spring, be- 

 fore the young canes started. The results were very def- 

 inite, but not encouraging. The young canes made a 

 vigorous growth, but not a single cluster of flowers ap- 

 peared on either the Cuthbert or Shaffer plants. There 

 were two or three fine clusters of fruit among the Fontenay 

 plants thus treated, but this is one of the European varie- 

 ties, which are characterized by more or less continuous 

 fruiting throughout the season. Just as good clusters 

 were to be found, and apparently as many of them, where 

 the plants were treated in the ordinary manner. 



The only advantage in autumn fruiting is the production 

 of a small amount of fresh fruit for family use late in the 

 season, but this trial seems to show little prospect of in- 

 ducing tardy fruiting by means of encouraging a late 

 seasonal growth. 



Weather conditions appear to influence this tendency. 

 In occasional years the wild red raspberries will bear con- 

 siderable fruit in autumn. At times throughout parts 

 of northern Pennsylvania, wild berries have even been 

 brought into the villages for sale in October. In 1915, a 

 very wet season, autumn fruit was abundant. 



