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Outdoor Problems of the Householder: Preserve

Preserve two shoots of new cane to extend along the wires from each trunk. Cut these back to six or eight buds and tie them to the two wires of the trellis. Preserve also two spurs at the head of each main trunk to furnish fruiting canes for the following season. The style of pruning, construction of the trellis and method of renewing the wood, are shown in the illustration. By this system the fruit branches are lifted so far above the ground that the porting wires in a natural way. This annual growth falls from the supdoes away with the labor and expense of tying. The fruit is also A AA Vine trained by modified Kniffen system; two stem. (L. C. Corbett.) further from the ground, and, hence, less liable to injury from mildew and rot.

Pruning the Raspberry and Blackberry.-Set the plants in rows six or eight feet apart and three feet apart in the row. No trellises are necessary. Let the young shoots OUTDOOR PROBLEMS OF THE HOUSEHOLDER 269 spring up a little over 2 feet high.

Then break off 3 or 4 inches from the top with the fingers, leaving the shoot 20 or 22 inches in height. No knife shears will be needed.

About blooming time, pinch back and shorten the lateral branches which have developed from the central or Typical raspberry after pruning. (L. C. Corbett.) shoot, to regulate the crop to such an amount as the cane can easily support. This process causes the stalks to increase in size and promotes the development of lateral fruit-bearing shoots.

Remove the old wood, preferably with the type of pruning hook shown in the illustration, as soon as the Pruning hook for brambles. (L. C. Corbett.) crop has been harvested. It is then easy to tell the new from the old wood. By cutting out the latter the energy of the root is preserved for next year's crop.

Observe the same general plan in pruning blackberries except that the annual shoots should be allowed to grow somewhat higher before being broken.

Pruning the Currant and Gooseberry.-Train both these plants in bush form. Let new wood spring up annually from the roots to replace any canes which may be destroyed by borers, or otherwise become diseased.

Break off the new shoots to stop their growth at any convenient height.