370 THE GARDENER. [Aug. 



horticulture has achieved so much. If all things had merely been left to circum- 

 stances and chance, we should not have been one stage further advanced than 

 were our grandfathers. Everything is simple when once we know it, and every- 

 thing in connection with horticulture is easy of accomplishment to those who 

 liave mastered it ; but no one knows the trouble, anxiety, and patience that have 

 been exercised ere many of what we think the simplest results have been 

 achieved, save he who has studied and wrought out these results for himself. 

 Some one may say, the mere fact of covering over a piece of Currant-bearing 

 ground with short grass could not cost much study or horticultural ability. 

 Verily that is true ; but this also is true, that although most of the gardeners in 

 the same district were year after year admiring the fruit and wishing " their 

 Currants would do as well," yet not one out of every six adopted the plan that 

 all saw and confessed did such effective service. The lesson to be read from 

 this is, that some men are not content until they have exhausted every means 

 witbiu their reach in order to bring about the best results, while others are con- 

 tent to leave things to chance and circumstances so long as the results are at 

 least of a kind to be called above mediocrity. 



The planting of the Currant is accomplished exactly in the way that has been 

 recommended for the Gooseberry, and the general training and after-management 

 are much the same in ordinary cases. Where, however, the largest and finest 

 fruit are desired, they ought to be planted against a wall, and the wall having a 

 southern or western aspect will be found to be the best. According to the 

 height of the wall will in a measure depend the form of training to be adopted. 

 If the wall be under 6 feet in height, one plant every 2^ feet will be sufficient 

 to plant ; if over this height, one plant will be necessary every foot. From the 

 plant upon a wall under 6 feet in height must be trained three branches, one 

 running straight up from the stem, and one on either side at a distance of 10 

 inches, also running up in a straight line towards the top of the wall. In 

 the other case one straight stem is canned up from the plant to the top of 

 the wall, but in both cases it is necessary to cut back the branches at every 

 pruning season to such a length as shall be deemed necessary in order that 

 there may be plenty of fruit-bearing spurs left all along the branch from top to 

 bottom. By this means a wall can be filled up in a very short space of time, not 

 only with wood and leaves, but also by a regular set of fruit-bearing trees, 

 which will repay much earlier than anything else the labour that has been 

 expended upon them. 



Where walls cannot be spared for this purpose, the next best method is as 

 follows. As soon as the young bush has formed its first set of branches, let 

 these, whatever their number be, whether four, five, or six, be trained up to a set 

 of stakes or to a hoop. They should be so placed that at 1 foot from the stem 

 each shoot ought to be 6 clear inches from its next. As they grow larger, hoops 

 may be used, and the branches allowed to become from 9 to 12 inches apart. 

 Year by year larger hoops must be used until the bush has become thoroughly 

 filled up with a nice set of fruit-bearing branches having a diameter of about 4 

 feet. No branches should be allowed in the centre, except in the case where 

 variety of training may be desired, and in such case only one stem trained to a 

 centre stake is admissible. We know of no method, except on a wall, where such 

 fine fruit can be obtained as by the one just described. By this method every 

 branch is open and free to the influences of the sun and air, and, as a consequence, 

 every encouragement is given for the production of large, well-flavoured fruit. 

 A little more distance plant from plant may be necessary than in the ordinary 



