34 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
January  16 
when  from  16  to  24  inches  in  height,  according  to  the 
nature  of  the  variety  and  the  strength  of  the  canes. 
The  Gregg  should  he  pinched  rather  lower  than  some 
other  kinds.  The  first  year  after  planting  we  pinch 
lower,  say  10  or  12  inches.  Blackberry  canes  we  pinch 
when  about  2%  feet  high.  If  allowed  to  grow  too 
high,  they  are  more  apt  to  be  blown  over  by  the  wind, 
and  it  is  more  difficult  for  pickers  (especially  the 
younger  ones)  to  gather  the  crop. 
3.  I  never  pinch  the  side  branches  that  develop  after 
the  main  stalks  have  been  pinched  off,  as  doing  so 
is  apt  to  cause  a  multitude  of  small  shoots  that  are 
not  wanted  for  fruiting  and  are  not  sure  of  ripening 
before  winter. 
4.  We  cut  back  these  laterals  in  spring  just  as  the 
buds  are  starting,  leaving  them  from  6  to  15  inches 
in  length,  according  to  circumstances.  We  do  not 
pinch  earlier,  as  the  canes  are  liable  to  dry  out  or 
freeze  back  if  the  pithy  branches  are  exposed,  by  cut¬ 
ting,  to  the  wind  and  frost  earlier  in  the  season. 
5.  We  prune  our  blackberries  the  same  way  as  black 
raspberries,  and  at  the  same  time,  except  that  the 
main  stalks  are  left  longer,  and  the  laterals  shorter. 
Some  good  cultivators  have  discontinued  pinching 
blackberries,  but  I  find  that  on  my  soil  the  canes,  if 
not  pinched,  grow  too  high,  and  are  badly  blown 
down  On  thinner,  heavier  soil,  this  objection  would 
probably  not  be  equally  forcible,  w.  w.  FARNSWORTH. 
Pinched  Raspberries  are  Pinched  by  Disease. 
I  do  not  pinch  the  young  canes  of  black  raspberries 
at  all,  because  experience  has  taught  me  that  when 
the  young  canes  are  top¬ 
ped  anthracnose  is  much 
worse  than  when  they  are 
allowed  to  grow  up,  bend 
over  and  root  as  soon  as 
possible.  This,  however, 
is  a  very  slovenly  way  of 
raising  raspberries,  as  at 
least  one  necessary  cultiva¬ 
tion  must  be  dispensed 
with  ;  but  it  is  the  best  I 
can  do  until  I  am  assisted 
by  some  fungicide.  I  in¬ 
tend  to  spray  with  a  solu¬ 
tion  of  copperas  next 
spring  ;  but  do  not  expect 
to  materially  benefit  next 
year’s  crop,  as  the  disease 
shows  plainly  before 
autumn  frosts.  I  side  up, 
thin  out,  head  back,  and 
take  out  the  old  canes  in 
the  spring. 
Blackberries  I  pinch 
when  the  young  canes 
reach  the  height  of  two  or 
three  feet,  to  make  the 
canes-  stocky  and  self-sup¬ 
porting. 
If  they  were  not  thus 
checked  the  winds,  snows, 
and  sleets  would  make  a 
tangled  mess  that  would 
defy  the  cultivator  the  next  spring.  It  is  also  important 
that  the  growing  canes  be  thinned,  as  of  course  the 
thicker  they  are  left,  the  less  stocky  the  growth  the 
smaller  the  berries,  and  also  the  more  danger  of  their 
shriveling  and  burning  in  a  drought.  This  difficulty 
may  be  prevented  in  a  measure  by  constant  cultiva¬ 
tion  through  the  growing  season,  and  almost  entirely 
avoided  by  planting  shade  trees.  I  am  using  the  cat- 
alpa  for  this  purpose  and  also  with  the  view  of  prevent¬ 
ing  sunstroke  among  the  pickers.  A  blackberry  patch 
is  a  very  hot  place  when  the  mercury  is  high  up  among 
the  nineties. 
I  do  not  practice  a  second  shortening  except  as  the 
bushes  trespass  on  the  path  left  for  the  horse  and 
pickers,  because  if  the  canes  are  thin  enough,  there 
will  be  roots  and  stems  enough  to  develop  all  of  the 
berries.  One  cannot  tell  just  how  rnanj'  canes  to  leave 
unless  he  can  foretell  the  weather ;  but  it  is  better 
that  they  should  be  too  thin  than  too  thick.  Snyders 
well  managed  here  in  Sangamon  County,  Ill.,  should 
yield  5,000  quarts  to  the  acre.  benjamin  buckman. 
Suitable  Practice  for  Western  New  York. 
1.  Here  in  Ontario  County  I  pinch  back  the  first 
year’s  growth  of  red  raspberry  canes  when  2  %  to  three 
feet  high  ;  otherwise  they  make  a  heavy  top  that  will 
not  be  supported  by  the  canes.  They  will  then  grow 
sufficiently  stocky  without  pinching.  2.  When  about 
2 14  feet  high  the  bush  will  then  get  its  size  in  width 
rather  than  height,  and  not  be  so  much  affected  by 
winds.  I  do  not  pinch  any  blackberry,  except  the 
Snyder.  The  Taylor,  Agawam,  etc.,  grow  branching 
and  stocky  without  pinching.  The  Snyder  should  not 
be  pinched  lower  than  three  feet,  for,  being  a  strong 
grower,  it  is  liable  to  renew  its  upward  growth.  3.  1 
do  not  pinch  the  branches  of  anything  ;  too  much  in 
that  line  multiplies  branches  at  the  expense  of 
strength.  4.  I  prune  excessive  growth  just  before 
picking,  to  facilitate  that  work.  5.  See  answer  to 
No.  4.  R.  JOHNSTON. 
Dow  Pinching  Increases  Fruiting  Surface. 
1.  Yes;  in  early  summer,  but  not  so  thoroughly  as 
in  case  of  the  blackberries  and  black  raspberries.  2.  I 
prefer  pinching  new  raspberry  and  blackberry  canes 
when  10  or  12  inches  high.  Before  this  season  I  used 
to  pinch  them  when  18  or  20  inches.  I  prefer  low 
pinching  because  it  greatly  increases  the  fruiting  sur¬ 
face,  gives  lower  bushes,  which  are  not  so  easily  in¬ 
jured  by  storms,  and  smaller  canes  which  are  less 
liable  to  break  while  they  are  being  laid  down  for 
winter  protection.  3.  As  a  rule,  no  ;  because  “  every¬ 
body  ”  says  it  will  stimulate  new  growth  which  would 
not  mature  sufficiently  to  stand  a  winter  here  in 
Monroe  County,  YVis.  I  have,  however,  contrary  to 
this  idea,  experimented  on  several  rows  of  blackberries 
this  season,  having  nipped  off  all  laterals,  and  the  re¬ 
sult  was  a  fine  growth  of  close-budded,  well  matured, 
second  laterals — in  fact,  ideal  bushes.  The  season  has 
been  favorable  for  maturing  the  canes,  and  I  may  not 
succeed  so  well  next  year,  when  the  experiment  will  be 
continued  on  a  larger  scale.  4.  I  cut  back  all  branches 
of  the  black  raspberry  severely  in  the  fall  or  spring, 
the  object  being  to  make  a  low,  compact  bush,  yield¬ 
ing  large,  perfect  berries.  5.  I  cut  back  the  branches 
of  the  blackberry  alone,  severely,  in  the  spring,  after 
buds  or  even  fruits  have  formed,  to  prevent  the  growth 
of  a  large  number  of  small  berries.  Blackberries, 
unlike  raspberries,  produce  most  fruit  near  the  ends 
of  the  branches,  and  severe  fall  pruning  might,  in  some 
seasons,  destroy  too  much  bearing  cane.  As  a  rule, 
for  large,  nice  fruit,  trim  closely.  M.  A.  thaykr. 
Uses  and  Abuses  of  Pruning. 
What  Jerseymen  Have  to  Say. 
This  was  the  title  of  an  interesting  paper  by  Col.  A. 
W.  Pearson  before  the  N.  J.  Horticultural  Society. 
We  prune  trees  and  vines  not  only  to  promote  sym¬ 
metry  of  form,  but  also  to  control  and  improve  fructi¬ 
fication.  Some  believe  that  cutting  a  tree  or  vine  is  a 
shock  to  its  vitality,  and  that  all  amputation  of  growth 
should  be  effected  simply  by  pinching  with  the  thumb 
and  finger;  others  believe  that  Nature  should  have  its 
own  sweet  will  to  “do  as  it  pleases.”  Others  again  think 
that  Art  was  designed  to  aid  Nature  and  that  the  more 
pruning  the  plant  receives  the  better  will  it  be  devel¬ 
oped.  The  Radicals  counsel  us  to  root-prune,  top 
prune,  spring  prune,  winter  prune  and  summer  prune. 
They  assume  that  Nature  and  Providence  make  mis¬ 
takes  which  human  wisdom  must  correct. 
Colonel  Pearson  said  that  his  own  practice  was  to 
prune  each  tree  in  conformity  with  its  habit  of  growth; 
to  prune  it  no  more  than  was  barely  needful  to  develop 
a  well  balanced  head,  to  prevent  overcrowding  or 
crossing  and  friction  of  the  branches,  and  to  do  this 
pruning  at  the  season  when  growth  is  beginning  to  be 
active.  He  had  not  been  able  to  employ  satisfactory 
“  help  ”  for  this  work.  He  had  learned,  however, 
from  the  work  o  f  those  he  has  employed  how  not  to  do 
it.  In  the  absence  of  a  case  in  point  it  was  difficult 
to  demonstrate  how  it  should  be  done. 
In  pruning  the  grape  vine  the  different  habits  of  the 
various  species,  as  well  as  the  constitutional  vigor  of 
individual  vines,  must  be  noticed  and  conformed  to. 
The  renewal  system  suits  the  Labrusca.  Cut  the  vines 
back  to  two  canes  of  the  last  season’s  growth,  leaving 
six  buds  on  each.  If  more  than  six  are  left,  those  next 
the  stock  will  be  apt  to  stay  dormant,  as  the  vine  tends 
to  start  and  extend  growth  only  from  the  extremities 
of  the  canes.  In  vineyard  culture  care  must  be  taken 
to  counteract  this  tendency  by  judicious  pruning,  oth¬ 
erwise  the  vines  may  soon  grow  beyond  control.  This 
is  apt  to  be  the  case  under  the  spur  pruning  system. 
He  had  seen  vines  which  had  been  spur-pruned  for  20 
years,  and  the  branches  carrying  the  fruiting  spurs 
extended  four  feet  from  the  main  arm,  the  vines  thus 
occupying  ten  times  the  space  needful  for  a  crop  of 
fruit.  When  by  heedless  pruning  a  vine  has  grown 
into  this  objectionable  shape,  there  is  but  one  way  to 
reform  it — it  must  be  cut  off  at  the  surface  of  the 
ground  and  make  a  new  start.  It  will  endure  this 
heroic  treatment  very  well,  and  its  new  growth  of 
wood  will  fruit  the  following  year.  To  the  novice  the 
direction  to  cut  back  to  two  arms  of  but  six  buds  each, 
may  seem  very  severe  ;  but  it  must  be  remembered 
that  but  few  fruiting  buds  are  needed  to  set  all  the 
fruit  a  vine  should  carry  in  the  vineyard,  i.  c.,  from  15 
to  20  pounds.  The  12  buds  left  on  the  canes  may  each 
set  three  clusters  of  grapes,  making  36  bunches.  If 
these  average  half  a  pound  each  (a  low  estimate),  we 
have  18  pounds  of  fruit  to  the  vine.  But  there  should 
also  be  left  near  the  main  stalk  a  few  spurs  of  new 
wood  cut  to  one  or  two  buds,  to  grow  renewal  arms  for 
the  next  year.  These  will  also  set  fruit  so  that  a  vine 
cut  back  even  thus  severely  may  bear  more  grapes 
than  it  can  well  mature  in 
the  close  culture  of  the 
vineyard. 
Summer  pruning  of  the 
vine  with  him  had  not 
given  as  satisfactory  re¬ 
sults  as  had  been  reported 
by  many  others.  Where 
grape  leaf  mildew  was 
prevalent  he  had  found 
summer  priming  a  risky 
practice,  but  since  the 
discovery  of  the  protective 
efficacy  of  the  copper  so¬ 
lutions,  objection  to  this 
pruning  may  be  essen¬ 
tially  overcome. 
How  to  properly  prune 
the  Riparia  species  he  did 
not  rightly  know.  They 
seem  to  need  room  to 
spread  themselves :  with¬ 
out  it  they  refuse  to  fruit 
profitably.  He  had  pruned 
the  Clinton  (a  Riparia)  on 
the  renewal  system,  and 
got  little  but  exuberant 
wood  growth,  with  few 
and  defective  clusters  of 
fruit ;  whereas,  when  al¬ 
lowed  to  run,  it  had  borne 
from  200  to  400  pounds 
of  fruit  to  the  vine,  in 
perfect  clusters.  Of  course,  under  this  style  of  train¬ 
ing,  pruning  must  be  on  the  spur  system,  and  just  here 
lies  the  difficulty  of  keeping  the  vine  under  control. 
The  spurs  will  extend  into  branches,  and  as  there  is  a 
constant  tendency  in  the  vine  to  push  growth  only 
from  its  extremities,  it  will  inevitably  run  beyond 
bounds,  leaving  an  annually  increasing  length  of 
barren  wood  next  the  main  trunk.  There  seems 
no  remedy,  except  to  cut  back  the  vines  every  few 
years,  thus  compelling  them  to  make  a  fresh  start. 
The  Aestivalis  species,  of  which  the  Norton,  Cyntlii- 
ana  and  Herbemont  are  specimens,  are,  in  habit  of 
growth,  similar  to  the  Riparia,  and  demand  some¬ 
what  similar  treatment. 
The  Wilson  Blackberry  in  ordinary  field  culture 
gives  the  best  results  when  its  lateral  branches  are  cut 
back  to  only  two  buds,  while  under  like  severe  pruning 
Missouri  Mammoth  and  Kittatinny  will  hardly  fruit 
at  all.  These  sorts  fruit  the  best  when  allowed  to 
retain  nearly  their  entire  growth  of  top.  The  former 
he  scarcely  prunes  at  all.  On  his  place  it  has  stood 
over  six  feet  high,  retaining  more  than  three-quarters 
of  the  length  of  the  lateral  branches,  and  yet  yielded 
fruit  in  almost  incredible  profusion. 
How  He  Prunes  the  Peach. 
He  hit  upon  his  practice  many  years  ago,  and  finds 
it  quite  satisfactory.  It  may  be  styled  the  renewal 
system.  It  is  the  habit  of  this  tree  to  fructify  chiefly 
at  the  extremity  of  the  branches.  As  these  grow  longer 
the  fruit  is  out  of  convenient  reach  and  by  its  weight 
is  apt  to  break  the  limbs  which  bear  it.  It  is  hardly 
worth  while  to  control  these  faulty  tendencies  by  an¬ 
nual  pruning,  and  where  the  prospective  crop  is  large 
it  will  scarcely  pay  to  expend  labor  in  thinning  the 
fruit.  When  the  top  of  the  tree  has  grown  so  as  to 
