Growing Blueberries 
The cultivation of improved hybrid varieties of Highbush Blue- 
berries in home gardens and commercial plantings is expanding 
rapidly. Under ideal conditions Blueberries produce prolifically and 
If your soil lacks acidity it may be improved 
by the addition of Aluminum Sulphate as 
suggested in the following chart: 
the plants last a lifetime. If the To Change to a pH of 4.5 
Their neat habit of growth and glossy foliage which is brilliantly colored Present pH On Sandy On Heavier 
in Autumn made Blueberry Plants attractive for landscape plantings. of your Soils Use ‘Loam Soils 
For a good book on Blueberries, write to the New York State Experiment Sarr Tcbsvotalan: Sulpl 
_ Station, Geneva, N. Y. for FREE Circular 189. oe tee ie eae an Sp ate 
Blueberries (see page 33) thrive best in an acid soil ranging in pH 5.0.......... 52... 2.4 Tbs. 7.2 Ibs. 
from 3.5 to 5.5 although a pH of 4.5 is considered ideal. en 8.4 
; Os Oca Septet ees le QI 
1 2 alka AA Gea gas Epon a a ae 65c. postpaid ne Sea eae iid 
OURS a PR i orci GO Ge Rees in boi 95c. postpaid : Ret Pay eS gas 
95 Whevezak es: FR A Dd 2 3 $1.50 (shipping charges collect) All applications figured for coverage 
Bd Pst toe nee ace chat as at 2 $2.50 (shipping charges collect) of 100 square feet mixed well with soil 
HEPTORT SGV on ie 9 tate a ea $4.50 (shipping charges collect) 
Use Aluminum Sulphate Also for Blue Hydrangea 
Red Raspberries 
The canes of Red Raspberries are biennial; that is, they com- 
plete their growth in height the first season, bear fruit the sec- 
ond, and then die. The roots are perennial, living for many 
years, sending up a new crop of canes each year. The canes are 
of two types, those that develop from buds at the base of the old 
canes, and those that develop from the roots at a distance from 
the crown. These latter are known as suckers, and red Raspberry 
varieties vary considerably in the number of suckers they pro- 
duce. Newburgh produces sucker§ in great abundance. Unless 
these suckers are periodically reduced in number the planting 
soon becomes a dense thicket of little value for fruit production. 
The fruit buds are formed in the Fall on the current season’s 
growth. The following Spring they develop into branches and 
bear fruit. As soon as the crop is harvested it is customary to 
remove the fruiting canes. This gives more room for the new 
growth and destroys many insects in the old canes. Where 
deep snow causes breakage of the new canes during the Win- 
ter, the old canes may be left until Spring for support. A 
V-shaped brush hook or longhandled pruning shears are suit- 
able for this pruning. 
‘In the Spring after the severe Winter weather is past and there is 
no more danger of Winter injury, the fruiting canes are pruned. 
This pruning consists in cutting back the fruiting cane to a 
height of 4 to 5 feet, depending on the vigor of the variety. The 
cutting back should be as light as will permit the cane to remain 
erect with its load of fruit. In general, the removal of the rela- 
tively weak growth at the tip, which is indicated by the short 
internodes, will suffice. Branches may be cut back to about 
10 inches or 15 buds. Some growers of early varieties who stake 
or trellis their canes leave this tip growth for the sake of the 
earlier berries. Even though these tip berries are rather small, 
they bring a high price because of their earliness. Failure to re- 
move the tip growth will not materially reduce the size of the 
berries on the remainder of the cane. 
On light soils subject to drought it may be advisable to cut back 
the canes more severely than on soils abundantly supplied 
with moisture. 
Black and Purple Raspberries 
During the Summer it is necessary to check the terminal growth 
of the new shoots of the black and purple Raspberries by 
pinching off the tips. If allowed to grow naturally they make 
long, sprawling canes difficult to manage. To prevent this 
the tips of the new shoots are pinched off when they reach 
the desired height, usually in June. This throws the growth 
into the side branches, thus making sturdy, compact, self- 
supporting bushes. The Black Raspberry is usually headed 
at 18 to 24 inches and the Purple Raspberry about 6 inches 
higher. If the shoots are headed much higher the bushes tend 
to become top heavy with the weight of the fruit the following 
year and considerable bending over and breakage of canes 
result. The tip should be pinched off when the shoot reaches 
the desired height, and since all canes will not reach that 
height at the same time, it is necessary to go over the field 
several times during the season. 
If the shoots are allowed to grow much above the desired 
height and are then cut back, this growth will be wasted and 
the branches will not be pinched off with the fingers, cut off 
with knife or pruning shears, or lopped off with a sickle. 
As in the case of Red Raspberries, the old canes of black and 
purple varieties are generally removed soon after the crop is 
harvested unless needed for support during the Winter. Un- 
der certain conditions, such as,a dry soil or a dry season, 
immediate removal of the old canes may conserve some 
moisture. Conversely, if there is an excess of moisture in 
the soil, leaving the old canes until the end of the season 
will tend to reduce the excess of water and thus assist in 
ripening the new wood. 
At the Spring pruning, which is best done in March or early 
April, after the severe cold weather is past, the weak canes 
are removed and the fruiting laterals headed back. As a 
general rule, leave all strong canes, that is, those over 14 inch 
in diameter, since the average plant can support all the canes 
of value for fruit production that it produces. 
Write to New York State Agriculture School, Ithaca, N. Y. for Circular No. 153 for more complete 
information on Red and Black Raspberries, and Circular No. 193 for Blackberries and Dewberries 
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