10 



subsoiled if necessary. The manure, if well worked in, will help in putting the 

 soil in the desired condition. 



Time to Plant. — Fall planting is generally to be recommended as currants 

 and gooseberrries start growth very early in the spring. Also they can be planted 

 comparatively early in the fall — September — giving the plants ample time to be- 

 come established before cold weather sets in. Spring planting, if done early enough, 

 has few objections, but the trouble is that, there being so much other work to be 

 done at that season the planting is liable to be neglected until after the plants 

 have started growth, for, as stated above, currants and gooseberries start growth 

 very early in the spring. This check will seriously affect the first season's 

 growth. 



Distance of planting. — The usually recommended distance of planting is four 

 feet apart in the rows with the rows six feet apart. Currants are often given 

 a little more room, especially the black currants, which are stronger growers. 

 If it is intended to cross cultivate the land, five feet apart each way will be found 

 a good distance to set the plants. Cross cultivation is commonly only needed at 

 intervals. Allowing the plants plenty of room will facilitate spraying and picking. 

 Planting six by six feet would, perhaps, be a better distance to recommend gener- 

 ally for red currants and gooseberries, and seven by seven feet for black currants. 

 Mr. J. E. Henry, of Winona, has his black currant rows seven feet apart with a 

 nine-foot space every third row, this extra large space being partly to facilitate 

 spraying with a power sprayer. 



The following table shows approximately how many plants to the acre there 

 will be with different distances of planting. 



DISTANCE. PLANTS. 



3 ft. by 5 ft 2,900 



3 ft. by 6 ft 2,400 



4 ft. by 4 ft 2,700 



4 ft. by 5 ft 2,200 



4 ft. by 6 ft 1,800 



4 ft. by 7 ft 1,550 



4 ft. by 8 ft 1,360 



5 ft. by 5 ft 1,740 



5 ft. by 6 ft 1,450 



DISTANCE. PLANTS. 



5 ft. by 7 ft 1,240 



5 ft. by 8 ft 1,100 



6 ft. by 6 ft 1,200 



6 ft. by 7 ft 1,040 



6 ft. by 8 ft 900 



7 ft. by 7 ft 900 



7 ft. by 8 ft 780 



7 ft. by 9 ft 700 



8 ft. by 8 ft 680 



When planting gooseberries under trees, Mr. L. B. Henry of Winona, recom- 

 mends the following method : " Supposing that the trees are twenty feet apart, 

 plant two bushes in each tree row, placing the bushes six-and-one-half feet from 

 each tree with a seven-foot space in the centre. This gives more room than 

 when planted in the open, but the bushes will grow larger in the shade." 



Planting. — The soil should be in a fine mellow condition as deep as plowed, 

 and then marked both ways the required distances with furrows in one direction. 

 It is well to make the furrows deeper than the plants are to be set so that a 

 little fine top soil may be placed under each plant. Eoot prune the plants before 

 setting as the roots are usually more or less bruised and torn from digging out 

 of the nursery row. The plants will root stronger from smoothly cut roots than 

 from jagged and frayed ends. Set the plants a little deeper than they were 

 in the nursery row. Pack the soil firmly about the roots with the feet. It is 

 very essential that this firming of the soil be thoroughly done, as otherwise there 

 is danger of the soil drying out the following summers. Also the soil being in 



