iSyi.] CULTIVATION OF HARDY FRUITS. 369 



of how Currants are managed in well-regulated establishments and under the care 

 of good horticulturists. 



Like all other fruits, if new varieties are wanted the only way of propagation is 

 from seed. Indeed, if finer varieties than those already in cultivation are wanted, 

 the surest and safest method is to use great care in the selection of the varieties 

 from which seed is to be taken, impregnating the flowers by artificial means, and 

 selecting the seeds from the largest and finest-formed fruit. By using caution and 

 care, in this way new and improved varieties may be the result of the operation. 

 When the fruit is thoroughly ripe the seeds ought to be washed from the pulp, and 

 may either be sown at once or retained till spring and sown in a favourable position. 

 The best place to sow is under a south wall, in nice rich soil of a light nature. 

 When the seed is sown as soon as the fruit is ripe, the plants are finer in every 

 respect the following year, and in every case ought to be fit for planting out into 

 nursery-lines a foot apart the following winter. Currants are also propagated by 

 suckers, layers, and cuttings. By cuttings is the best method for the propagation 

 of existing varieties. As their propagation is in every respect identical with that 

 of the Gooseberry, as described in our paper upon that fruit, it is quite unnecessary 

 to say more regarding it here, but simply to refer the reader to that article for 

 whatever information he may require upon that branch of our subject. 



Currants may be divided into three classes^ — Red, White, and Black. The prun- 

 ing and training of the Red and White Currant are in almost every particular the 

 same. We shall therefore speak of them first, after which we shall refer to the 

 management of the Black Currant, which requires quite a different treatment ; 

 starting with a Red or White Currant bush at one year from the cutting, or two 

 from the seed. It ought to be planted the following autumn into a nursery-line 

 having at least I4 foot square of ground to itself. It must just be treated in 

 the same manner as recommended for the Gooseberry, and regularly root-pruned 

 and transplanted until it is large enough to be put into its permanent position 

 in the fruit-garden. When this is the case, their situation must be fixed upon, 

 which, if a choice can be had, should be where the soil is deep, rich, and moder- 

 ately heavy, such as gardeners generally know as good sandy loam. If the soil 

 be of a dampish nature, so much the better ; but where flavour is a consideration, 

 we would recommend that they be planted in an open position, free to the full 

 blaze of the sun, and not under trees in orchards and in out-of-the-way corners, 

 as they are too often to be found. No doubt larger fruit is obtainable from 

 such positions than are to be got from those planted as we have recommended, 

 unless means be adopted to prevent rapid evaporation, especially during long- 

 continued di'oughts, when the fruit is swelling and finishing ofi". The largest and 

 finest-flavoured Currants we ever saw were grown upon an exposed piece of 

 ground in one of the driest counties in Scotland ; but the cultivator took the 

 precaution every year to cover the ground over with from 2 to 3 inches of short 

 grass from the lawns, and hence every drop of rain which fell w^as economised 

 for the benefit of the Currant crop. It is all very well to plant Currants — or 

 anything else — in whatever position the cultivator may think fit, and expect 

 the best results without any further trouble than the usual winter-pruning. 

 This is not cultivation. It is a trusting to chance — leaving things to a state 

 of nature, with the slight exception already indicated. In the management of 

 a garden, it is quite impossible to procure the best position necessary for every- 

 thing under the gardener's care ; and seeing this to be the case, it is his duty to 

 bring his skill and horticultural knowledge to bear directly upon such cases, 

 and thereby counteract, as far as possible, by artificial means the evil influences 

 that are at war against him. It is by these means, and these means alone, that 



