The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-12-07
PRUNING BLACKBERRY AND
RASPBERRY BUSHES


1 Presumlng that the old wood of black
berries and raspberries was not cut away
as soon as they were done bearing, a
was formerly and is yet by some recon
: mended, the work may be done at thi
time and on until spring whenever th
canes are not frozen. The canes for mex
years cutting may be pruned at the SAM
time. A good deal Of Judgment is re
quired in pruning for fruit, not to leav,
more buds than are needed to make a full
crop, because when an excess of buds arr
) 'left the fruit"will be smaller and later
than on close pruned bushes and further
both blackberries and raspberries oyer
truIted produce but sparingly the follow
ing year. The secret of having annually
a fair yield Of large fruit is in cutting
I close. This with good cultivation added
embraces the gist of all that need be
| practiced for profitable results, wherever
the canes Of those fruits are hardy Some
advocate the removal of the trimmings
This OF course, can be conveniently done
IN small patches, out when the rows are
long we have found it less labor and to
answer quite as well, better in fact to
chop ug the trimmings on the ground
with sharp corn hoe the same as corn
stalks are cut out at the West. Lying
on the ground, leaves accumulate among
them, and in the spring both the canes
and leaves are early plOwea under, where
they will decay in time not to impede
later workings Of the ground, and are of
Igfeat advantage in keeping the soil loose.
We find the following On cutting away
the old wood Of these bushes, by cor
respondent in the September number of
Tilton's Journal of Horticulture:
81 have noticed the recommendation of
some of Cbe genealogical authorities
around about New York City, to cut
away all the old blackberry and rasp
berry canes close to the ground, as soon
as the fruit is gathered, Such authori
ties assume to know far more than all the
outside world yet think such a recon-
mendation is an egregi0us error, and if
put in practice, the productiyeness of the
bushes thus treated will be seriously i'm
paired. Let producers Of black berries
and raspberries adopt such practice and
they will soon perceive the Injurious eff
fects on The hardness Of their bushes,
and in the production of inferior crops Of
fruit, for the reason that sucha premature
removal Of the old wood iDterferes with q
very important habit of the bushes.
From the commencement Of the growing
season until the fruit is fully ripe ali the
energies of the bushes are concentrated
to the accomplishment Of this one object
the perfect development and maturity
Of the fruit. The circulation Of the sap
has all been towards the leaves. The
roots are SO exhausted at this period
when the fruit is fully ripe-that they
are poorly prepared, alter having pro
duced crop Of fruit, TO develop q new
system Of canes for the following season,
if the old wood were cut away. AS soon
as the fruit is gathered the circulation of
the sap is reversed, so that all the remain
ing energies Of tie bushes are directed
TO the strengthening of the roots. Tho
leaves on the old canes play an impOr-
ant part in this operation, as the sap in
them goes down into the roots before the
leaves are cast, to aid both IN stengthen-
ing the roots and developing new canes
Hence, if the Old canes are cut away be-
fore che leaves have fallen, the hardiness.I
Of the bushes will be more or less injured
But as soon as the leaves on the old canes
are so much faded that they are about to
drop, the old canes may be removed with
out any injury to the future productive.
ness and hardness Of the bushes.
1T must be remembered that the canes
of blackberries and raspberries are bien |
NAL, while the roots are perennial. Dame |
Nature, therefore has provided that the
fruit-bearing canes Of the present year
must remain where they grew until the
canes which are 10 yield crop of fruit
next season stand by their sid1 fully de,
veloped, and ready to receive the mantle |
Of their progenitors. AS soon as the
bushes have ceased to grow, the old wood
may be cut away without any injury. |
Yet in localities where the bushes art ex-
posed to deep snow, if the bushes are not
laid down during the cold weather, the
Old canes will aid in keeping the new
o0es erect. The old canes should always
be removed very early in the growing
season"
JOHN SMITHS LUGGAGE-Th The. late
Hon. John Smith, OF New York used 30
start for Washington with single clean
collar in his hat, which made his entire