13 



destroyed instead of one or two shoots. The bush form plan is the generally used 

 one. 



In pruning red currants the object in view should be to practice a system 

 of renewal, having vigorous young growth always coming on to take the place of 

 the older branches as they become unproductive. Branches four and five years 

 of age are less productive and should be removed. Two and three-year wood is the 

 most productive and therefore most desirable. 



Some pruning may be necessary at the end of the first year after planting 

 to get the bush into shape and regulate the number of main stems to be left. 

 From four to eight main stems' properly distributed will bear a good crop of 

 fruit and future pruning should have in view the maintenance of this number 

 of branches two and three years of age and a few others coming on to take their 

 places. It is safe to plan to keep all wood over three years old cut out. Some 

 growers, according to Card, in " Bush Fruits," recommend that no wood over two 

 years old should be left. Broken branches' and unnecessary young growth should 

 also be cut out, or shortened back so as to form fruiting spurs. 



The young vigorous' shoots that are to take the place of the older canes should 

 be shortened in to prevent the bush from becoming straggly, and to force the 

 development of fruit spurs evenly along its whole growth instead of mostly at the 

 ends of the branches. Thus the load of fruit will be more evenly distributed, and 

 the hush will be able to support a large crop of fruit without breaking down. 



Pruning may safely be done any time when the wood is dormant though, 

 perhaps', it is as well to delay pruning until shortly before growth begins in the 

 spring. This avoids any chance of the wood drying back and, if there has been 

 any winter killing of unripened wood, it can then be observed and cut out. Also 

 buds are easily injured in late spring pruning. Pinching back the young growth 

 is followed in some countries, the object being to develop fruit spurs. In this 

 climate it might have the tendency to force buds into growth that would not become 

 well ripened before winter set in. 



The pruning of black currants varies from that of red currants' only in so 

 far as the main object is the production of plenty of one year wood. Pruning 

 is therefore usually more severe than for the red currant as practically a com- 

 plete renewal of wood has to be obtained each year. Old growth must be kept 

 well cut out. 



Gooseherries. — Mr. W. T. Macoun, Dominion Horticulturist, in his bulletin 



oil P)iish Fruits, discusses pruning the gooseberry as follows: — 



" As the gooseberry makes much more wood than it is desirable ^to leave, severe 

 pruning Is necessary. English varieties are usually trained to a single stem, but this 

 is not necessary, although the freer circulation of air when trained in this way may 

 help to prevent the spread of mildew. The usual custom in America Is to grow the 

 gooseberry in bush form. The bush should at firsit be brought into a good shape by 

 leaving a few of the strongest shoots regularly distributed to make an open head. 

 Five or six of these shoots are quite sufficient to leave at first. As the bush gets older, 

 new shoots are allowed to grow to take the place of the older ones, as the pruning 

 should be done with a view to having only vigorous bearing wood. Fruit is borne 

 on year-old wood and from spurs on older wood. It usually is not desirable to have 

 any wood more than three years old. The best time to prune is in the autumn or 

 winter. The weakest young shoots should be cut off at the ground, also all the 

 stronger shoots not required for fruiting or to take the place of the older branches 

 to be cut away. The side shoots from the older branches should be headed back 

 or cut out altogether so as to maintain a fairly open head, making it as easy as possible 

 to pick the fruit and yet leave sufficient wood to produce a good crop and to shade 

 the fruit from the sun, as in a hot, dry time gooseberries are liable to be injured by 

 scalding. When branches are more than three years of age they should be removed to 



