202 



SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. 



and si>ecies do quite readily. The young shoots may be 

 Bhoitened or entirely removed, for tlie purpose of giving 

 the bush a regular shape, and make it open or compact, 

 as desired. 



The A^arieties of the Itibes rubrum^ to which species our 

 common Red and White kinds belong, are usually grown 

 n this form, especially when cultivated in large quantities, 

 and for market purposes. 



The fruit is mainly produced on the w^ood two or more 

 vears old, and when a branch has borne two or three 

 3rops, it is best to reniove it and allow a new one to take 

 its place, as young wood generally produces larger fruit 

 than that which is very old. 



About all the pruning that is necessary is to cut out, oc- 

 casionally, the old w^ood, and shorten the most vigorous 

 of the young growth. 



If too many young shoots or suckers appear, and they 

 are likely to become crow^ded, a portion of them should 

 be cut out, so that the air and sun may have free access 

 to those that remain. 



All dead or diseased shoots should be annually removed, 

 and only the best and most luxuriant ones preserved. If 

 the ends of the growdng shoots are pinched off during the 

 summer, it A^dll cause them to become more stocky and 

 fully ripe, while at the same time it will increase the size 

 of the fruit which may be on the branch below. 



The main object should be to properly develop every 

 "iortion of the plant, and this cannot be done if it becomes 

 crowded, either with old or new wood. 



A half dozen laro-e, vio;orous shoots will 2:ive more and 

 .argcr fruit than double that number of weak and imma- 

 ture ones. 



When the plants are lo be trained with single stems, 

 the system should be commenced with the cutting, dis* 

 budding that portion w^hich is placed below ground, and 

 when those above ground push, rub ff all but one^, s^rl 



