BUSH FRUIT PRUNING 



283 



agement of other bramble fruits, especially red rasp- 

 berries, which have the similar habit of throwing up 

 suckers. 



If all of the suckers are allowed to grow, by the end 

 of the second year the field will be a dense thicket of 

 canes, from which the berries can be picked only with 



great difficulty. The suckers 

 parent plants for food, moisture 

 and light, and the whole plan- 

 tation will be inferior. The 

 plants must therefore be kept 

 in rows or hills, and all suckers 

 which appear Ijetween the rows 

 must be destroyed by frequent 

 cultivation. Suckers do not re- 

 appear as rapidly if pulled as 

 if cut, but this method requires 

 much hand labor. If all are de- 

 stroyed, the plants will have 

 much stronger roots and canes, 

 and the berries will be larger 

 and better. 



As soon as the last berries 

 have been picked, the canes 

 which have just borne fruit 

 should be cut out and burned. 

 This allows the young canes 

 more room in which to develop, 

 and destroys any insects or dis- 

 eases on the old canes. It will 

 rarely be necessarj^ to leave 

 them to support the new canes 

 during the winter snows. Wire 

 trellises are usually to be pre- 

 ferred where support is needed. 

 Not more than four new canes 

 to each plant should be al- 



/ill compete with the 





FIG. 241 

 RED RASPBERRY CANE IM- 

 PROPERLY PRUNED 

 This cane was clipped not 

 pinched during midsummer when 

 nearly full grown. Lateral branches 

 developed later as shown near the 

 top. The cane is 30 inches long 

 up to the point cut. It should 

 ha\e been pinched at 18 to 24 

 inches. Such canes as this are 

 often borne to the ground by the 

 weight of fruit because of their 

 weakness and top-heaviness, where- 

 as short, pinched canes stand up. 

 The laterals, which winterkilled 

 badly because produced late in the 

 season, have been cut back to 

 permit clear photographing. 



