BUSH FRUIT PRUNING 



281 



gain in the case of Gregg is so slight, however, as to be more than 

 offset by the cost of pinching and the increased labor involved in 

 the winter protection of the plants. As a general conclusion drawn 

 from this very thorough trial covering five years, it may be stated 

 that pinching is not a profitable practice. 



209. Pruning and training black raspberries. — Summer 

 pinching (No. 2, above) is a very popular practice among 

 blaclv raspberry growers, mainly because this plant does 

 not produce suckers. The work is done at frequent in- 

 tervals during the growing season — whenever the young 



FIG. 239— RED RASPBERRY CANES AFTER PRUNING 

 Same as Fig. 238 after thinning out and cutting baclc. 



canes reach a height of 18 to 24 inches. If done then, 

 the thumb and forefinger, in a small way, will do the 

 work effectively because the tops will be succulent. If 

 the canes are allowed to grow taller so that several inches 

 of wood must be cut with a knife or a pair of shears, the 

 result will be far less satisfactory because the canes will 

 not branch so low down and will not be nearly so self- 

 supporting. Moreover, there will be a smaller number 

 of laterals, a smaller quantity of fruit, and that usualh^ of 

 poorer quality, than on canes pinched at the proper height 

 and time. (Note Cranefield's conclusions, 208.) 



Proper summer pinching, therefore, predetermines both 

 the quality and the quantity of fruit to be borne the fol- 



