Pruning ', ,' \ ^ ; v , '401 



of the main stem. Erie is said ta.bea#y Jfe Tajioi in' 

 this respect and Early Harvest is said to bear its fruit- 

 buds near the main stem at times and near the tips at 

 others. It is, therefore, better to defer spring pruning 

 until the buds develop, unless the grower is sure of his 

 ground. 



While the above method is the one commonly followed 

 in field culture in the eastern states, other methods are 

 more popular in some localities. Where soil and climate 

 tend to produce a very tall and strong cane, it is a common 

 practice to allow them to grow in their own way but to 

 provide some kind of support to hold them up. The 

 particular advantage claimed for this method is that it 

 permits full exposure of all buds and leaves to sun and 

 air, with the result that larger and finer crops of fruit are 

 produced. The argument seems reasonable and perhaps 

 explains why the method is apparently more popular in 

 moist localities where sunlight in less intense. The chief 

 disadvantage lies in the extra labor involved in providing 

 support and securing the plants to it. 



The most common support is some form of wire trellis. 

 The simplest type consists of a single wire stretched to 

 posts set in the row. This wire is put three to five or six 

 feet from the ground depending on the height to which the 

 canes ordinarily grow. A low wire is sometimes used, 

 even where the growing canes are tipped to induce branch- 

 ing but such plants usually stand up well without support. 

 Sometimes two wires are used, one above the other, 

 where canes grow very tall. For a good illustration of 

 trellis-grown blackberries, see frontispiece. 



A modification of this trellis, with either the single or 



