92 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



PRUNING GOOSEBERRIES AND CURRANTS. 



Gooseberries. 



ONFINE pruning chiefly to thinning out main branches and cutting: 

 out weak and exhausted parts, regulating the current year's young 

 wood as evenly as possible over the trees at such distances apart 

 that the hand may be passed down among them without being; 

 scratched. Allow no shoots to remain to grow inwards or in reversed 

 positions whereby they tend to crowd the centres, which ought to 

 remain moderately open. Keep the shoots clear of the ground by 

 cutting away the lowest growths. The pendulous growing varieties require 

 special attention in this respect, and when pruned ought to be cut to upward 

 pointing buds. Prune erect growers to outward buds, and those of spreading 

 growth to inside buds, which will modify to some extent their natural habit^ 

 producing more shapely and serviceable bushes. In thinning out, either cut the 

 shoots dispensed with entirely out close to the old wood, or leave them to the 

 extent of an inch, when they will form spurs at the base. A dusting of lime 

 when the bushes are damp is good for the trees, destructive of insects, and a 

 preventive of birds taking the buds. If manure is needed draw the earth from 

 below the branches till the roots are visible, then spread a layer of decayed 

 manure on them, covering with a sprinkling of fresh soil. The remainder of 

 the soil outside the radius of the roots may be manured and forked over, or the 

 latter alone will do where the ground is rich and the trees productive. 



Red and White Currants. — As the disposal of a proper number of branches 

 — usually five to seven in ordinary sized bushes — is effected early in the exis- 

 tence of the bushes the pruning is a very simple matter. It consists in pruning 

 back to within an inch of the main stems all the side growths produced during 

 the summer, shortening the extension growths in the same way with full-sized 

 bushes, but in those required to extend leave a length of not more than nine 

 inches. With weakly trees six inches is enough. The object of shortening the 

 branches to these distances is to cause proper breaks of side shoots, and to 

 strengthen the stems so that they can bear the large crops of fruit which are 

 annually produced from the clusters of basal buds congregated on the spurs. 

 Give the trees a good dressing of manure over the roots, and sprinkle the 

 branches with fine lime, which serves to cleanse them of moss, and otherwise 

 benefits them, as well as preserving the buds from birds, which, however, are 

 not so destructive with currant, as gooseberries. 



Black Currants. — These bear differently, and in pruning, abundance of 

 young wood must be left, confining the pruning to thinning out the oldest 

 branches and a large proportion of the latest bearing shoots. Strong sucker-like 

 growths from the base may be freely encouraged, or vigorous growths from any 

 part, but preferably originating in the lower parts of the bushes, can be utilized,. 



