THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



253 



any buds that show themselves in posi- 

 tions where branches are not required ; 

 or if ill-placed shoots make their ap- 

 pearance, pinch them out while they are 

 3'oung, to throw the whole strength of 

 the tree into those which are to form 

 the basis of a well-shaped head. A 

 little care, in the first instance, will 

 secure a handsome and regular natural 



growth. At the end of the season, cut 

 back all the leading shoots to two- 

 thirds of their length, to cause them to 

 break the next spring, and form well- 

 shaped bushes. After that they will 

 require little pruning ; and for all es- 

 tablished and bearing trees the knife 

 should scarcely be used at all. Wher- 

 ever an ill-placed shoot appears, pinch 



it out at once with the finger and 

 thumb ; never let any unnecessary 

 growth proceed so far as to the ripen- 

 ing of wood that must be cut away ; 

 and when the knife must be used, let 

 there be no compromise. Unfruitful, 

 ill-placed branches and shoots that 

 crowd each other should be cut clean 

 away to the base, and every good shoot 

 should be slightly shortened to keep 



the tree to regular dimensions, and 

 remove the weakest of its growths. 

 Wherever gooseberry trees are cut and 

 hacked, without judgment, they cease 

 to be productive. If you grow for 

 profit, encourage fruit spurs by using 

 the knife sparingly, merely preserving 

 a proper distance from branch to 

 branch, and shortening in the weakest; 

 but, if you grow for exhibition, adopt 

 the opposite method, aud encourage 



young wood, which produces few but 

 larger berries ; in which case you must 

 also feed liberally by forking in rotten 

 dung, and giving plenty of water. 



The gooseberry being a fancy fruit, 

 growers adopt various methods of 

 training ; and these methods are to be 

 commended for the neatness they give 

 the trees, to those who grow them 

 merely for the table and the kitchen. 

 A row of well-shaped trees is a pretty 

 sight, and tells of the artist ; but a lot 



of mop-heads, choked in the centre, 

 and smothered with suckers, proclaims 

 the sloven, and the sloven never finds 

 a profit in his work. Training on a 

 south wall is a good method to secure 

 an early supply of fruit, and to grow 

 a row not trained under a wall or 

 fence with a north aspect is a good 

 plan to secure fruit very late in the 

 season. The shade of trees, also, re- 



