LAYING OUT AND SETTING THE CURRANT, ETC. 233 



LAYING OUT AND SETTING THE CURRANT AND 

 GOOSEBERRY PLANTATION. 



C. E. OLDER, I.UVERNE. 



Currants and gooseberries are the easiest to raise of all the 

 fruits, and if only a small amount of energy is employed, coupled 

 with intelligent action, success is most sure to meet you half way. 

 They can be raised with less effort, with less care and with less 

 sense than any other of the fruits. 



In the first place, I want a good, nearby, level piece of rich land, 

 deeply plowed and thoroughly worked. Then lay off the land in 

 rows six feet apart and with a team and plow turn put a furrow each 

 way, making a narrow dead-furrow. Then mark the field cross- 

 wise of these furrows, making the rows four feet apart, so your 

 plants will stand four feet apart in the row and the rows six feet 

 apart. It would be well to plant a row of potatoes or other hoed 

 crop to fill the space between the rows, for the first year or two. 



Set the currants deep and fill well up so that the roots are well 

 under the surface of the ground when finished, but leave the ground 

 dishing toward the plants. Tramp the soil well down around the 

 plants, leaving the surface loose for a mulch or dust blanket. Trim 

 off all weak or small limbs, leaving not more than four of the strong- 

 est branches. 



In setting gooseberries trim off all lower branches, so that the 

 limbs will come well up from the ground on one strong stem. If 

 they branch low at the surface of the ground, they will take root and 

 spread too much and will not bear nearly so well as when treated as 

 indicated aboye. This I consider essential for fruiting, and it is a 

 great help where mildew troubles the plants as well as a con- 

 venience in cultivation. Trim the tops of the new growth occasional- 

 ly to keep them in shape and for convenience in picking. Culti- 

 vate thoroughly early and late and allow no weeds to go to seed. 

 After the second year discontinue cultivation and mulch heavily 

 to retain the moisture and keep down the weeds. At this time there 

 should be considerable fruit to gather. 



Now a few words as to varieties. In currants we have had 

 splendid success with Fay's, Long Bunch Holland, White Grape 

 and Versailles. We also have Pomona and North Star, recently 

 planted. Personally I would not pick the ordinary gooseberry for 

 them, although I have more applicants to pick gooseberries than 

 for any other kind of fruit, but I know of a row of gooseberries in 

 our part of the state that I would pick, and will pick, too, some 

 night. You can see the berries as soon as you can the leaves, large, 

 light green or white, beauties to look at and a pleasure to grow 

 them. I refer to the "White Queen," of which twenty bushes last 



