THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



PROPAGATION AND PRUNING OF CURRANTS. 



Sir, — After reading the article with 

 above title in January number, I thought 

 it might interest your readers to have a 

 short sketch of our plan of currant 

 growing. We commence by making our 

 cuttings (either in the fall or early in 

 the spring), cutting them 4 to 6 inches 

 long, these we bury in sand for a few 

 weeks so that they may form a callous. 

 When ready to set, we mark out a furrow 

 deep enough so that we can cover the 

 entire cutting excepting the top bud. 

 We find that cuttings set in this manner 

 will usually throw up one strong thrifty 

 cane, and such a plant we consider the 

 best possible plant for permanent setting 

 in the field. We then set 7 x 7 ft., and 

 instead of pruning to a tree form, we 

 aim to grow a strong thrifty bush that 

 will renew itself from the roots. 



Every year we cut out (either in the 

 fall or the following spring) all crooked 

 or weakly young growth, and if any old 

 canes show evidence of disease, they are 



taken out also. A weakly side arm is 

 often removed, but main canes are 

 never shortened in. We find that every 

 bush has its own individuality, and it is 

 a harder task to tell just how to trim a 

 currant bush than it is to trim it after 

 you see the bush. We would aim to 

 have from 8 to 10 good strong canes to 

 each bush. If planted closer together 

 than we recommend, it will very likely 

 be best not to exceed 6 or 7. As the 

 bush grows older remove one or two of 

 the oldest canes each year, and leave 

 the same number of the strongest of the 

 new growth. You are thus renewing 

 your bush with young vigorous wood 

 each year. The best of the young 

 growth removed can be used for cuttings 

 for growing new plants. 



The currant is one of the easiest fruits 

 to grow, and also one of the most 

 neglected. 



L. H. Read. 



Grand Rapids^ Wisconsin. 



PRUNING CURRANTS. 



N dealing with currants the red and 

 white need similar treatments as re- 

 \ gards pruning, but this treatment is 

 in no wise similar to that suitable for 

 the gooseberry. Suppose the bush is in 

 fruiting form, that is, in good cropping 

 condition, the best portion of the young 

 shoots need annual removal, with this 

 exception, that where they are needed 

 to fill up spaces then they should be 

 shortened to, say, 5in. or 6in., and close 

 to a bud. In removing all useless 

 lateral shoots up the stem see that a 

 short spur is left, as the fruit is pro- 

 duced from these spurs the following 

 year. This, with the removal of all old 



wood and thinning out the spurs when 

 they are crowded, is about all that can 

 be said on this subject. These bushes 

 should also be set as advised for goose- 

 berries, and in the autumn the young 

 shoots are usually cut back to two 

 inches. In pruning the black currant, 

 the plan adopted is almost the same as 

 with gooseberries, but the former does 

 not need such free and vigorous cutting, 

 the growth being much less in com- 

 parison. It is important that all dead 

 wood be taken out each year, and the 

 shoots and branches be thinned to let 

 in the light. It will do good also to 

 have all unproductive branches or wood 



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