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cutting back to the main stalk, from which fresh shoots soon grow 

 and replace the older ones. 



PRUNING THE RASPBERRY AND BLACKBERRY. 



At the time of planting choose root canes or suckers with a 

 good root system attached ; cut the cane back about 12 inches above 

 the ground. From the base, strong and sturdy fruit canes will 

 spring up. During the summer keep weeds down by frequent 

 shallow hoeing, and at the same time knock off the superabundant 

 suckers that may appear, leaving only from four to six. Remember 

 that deep digging with the spade or hoe is injurious to the plant, 

 cutting its tufts of fibrous roots, which are surface feeders and 

 nourish the crops. The plant carries deep, strong, woody roots as 

 well, which produce and support the canes. 



When the canes are several feet long they are topped off, and 

 the subsequent laterals are pinched back about 12 inches from the 

 stem. In the autumn, after the old crop has been gathered, the 

 old canes, which will not fruit any more, are cut off close to the 

 ground by means of a bent sharp hook fixed at the end of a long 



cane. This implement may be made of an old rasp ; the cutting 

 edges come together at a point like the letter V, and will cut on 

 both edges, while it will also catch and hold the cut cane, which 

 has to be removed from amongst the canes left on the plant. Thus 

 the newer canes have a better chance, under the additional amount 

 of sun and air they get, to mature and become more fruitful. 

 These should have 10 to 12 inches of their ends cut off, as this 

 part has not summered properly and is of no value. By this 

 means also noxious insects and fungoid diseases are also better 

 destroyed, and the cutting of the spent canes is easier than if they 

 were dead and dry. 



Raspberries and blackberries are either trained upright or 

 without supports, by cutting hard back, or, better still, by trellising 

 over stakes, laths, or wires. On large plantations the pruning is 

 done more economically more especially in the case of the black- 

 berry and consists, besides removing the worn-out canes in the 

 autumn, in slashing the laterals on each side of the hedge in the 

 summer, to allow cultivation, and tying the bunches together or to 

 the trellis. 



PRUNING G-OOSEBERRY AND CURRANTS. 



Both plants receive pretty well the same treatment. At 

 planting, short jointed young shoots are cut about 14 to 18 inches 

 long. It is advisable to blind with the knife or the blade of the 

 secateur all the buds which will be underground, or else the plants 



