374 PRACTICAL GARDENING. 



a caulifl-OTver. But floriculture is not to be despised, for a 

 flower-garden pleases nine out of ten, and many will go a long 

 distance for a stroll at Kew or Hampton Court. 



Pruning the Black Currant. — The Black Currant does 

 not like the knife, yet without some little management the 

 bush would be a jumble of weak shoots. It must not have 

 the strong branches cut back, but whatever branches, or 

 rather twigs, grow inwards, must be cut clean away at 

 the base ; strong branches, therefore, should be allowed 

 to grow, except those which grow inwards, and weakly 

 shoots be altogether removed. They must in no case be 

 spurred, as other currant-bushes and gooseberries are. If, 

 however, any branch grows right away from the rest, and 

 appears to run out of bounds, it must be shortened do^wn to a 

 strong eye or shoot, which may take its place as it grows. The 

 Black Currant, therefore, becomes a large dwarf tree, and if 

 kept clean and in good order, and free from the little spindling 

 shoots which would otherwise choke up the head, it bears the 

 better for age, and it is not an uncommon thing to see them 

 six feet across. They, therefore, soon grow into each other, 

 unless planted a considerable distance apart ; eight feet is not 

 too much room, for there will then be space to go round each 

 bush to gather the fruit. AATien the bushes are young, they 

 must be cut back enough to form a good bush, that is to start 

 branches enough to grow out all round, and this must be 

 done while small and before they begin to bear fruit ; the 

 next year remove aU the shoots that do not assist in forming 

 a good round bush. We have nothing to do afterwards but 

 remove weak and useless shoots, or, which is still better, rub 

 off the buds that would produce them, and so throw all the 

 strength of the plant into the useful gro^i:h. AYhen grown on 

 a wall they may be trained fan-fashion, and be allowed to cover 

 every inch of it as far as it grows, but even then nothing 

 must be shortened ; cut weak twigs away altogether, or leave 

 them on, for cutting back only creates a good deal of small 

 wood too weakly to bear. They must be fastened like other 

 wall-fruit trees, and regulated as to the number of branches 

 while quite young. 



Climate. — As our climate is beyond our control, those 

 things which will not bear it must be supplied with an arti- 

 ficial one that will suit them. For this purpose we provide 

 frames and glasses for such as want a little help, — that is to 



