The Canadian Horticulturist. 237 



the trunk where the stem socket is, a piece of cloth is sewed to make a pliable 

 and close fit round the stem when the picker is clasped together. 



When the currants are ripe, adjust the picker as high as possible on the 

 stem under the top. Around the lower part of the stem, immediately under the 

 picker, clasp or wind a piece of thick felt ; hold it with the left hand, and in the 

 right use a wooden mallet with felt tacked on each end. Gently tap the stem 

 all around, and watch the currants fall. If ripe, scarcely one will be found on 

 the bush. Unclasp the picker, let down the legs and empty the contents into a 

 bag or basket. That's picking currants by an improved method, and one that 

 will do away with all hand-picking. If people will let them get ripe, they sell 

 better, are larger, and bring the same price as earlier, as black currants seldom 

 vary in price. 



As the fruit comes from the picker, a large amount of dead leaves, stems, 

 etc., will drop also, which necessitates hand-cleaning to make it salable. This 

 is all easily overcome if one has an old fanning mill. Take out all the sieves 

 but the screen ; one inch above it tack a canvas, or, better, make a canvas 

 screen. If the currants are large, use the bean sieve ; put this as near the 

 hopper bottom as possible. Under the mill where the cleaned fruit comes out, 

 spread a sheet or canvas to catch currants, and pick them up for basketing. Fill 

 the hopper the same as with grain, turn gently, and watch results. This is 

 another labor-saving job accomplished. Why pay pickers 20 cents a basket for 

 picking and cleaning a lo-quart basket, when you can save that much, do ten 

 times as much as one man, and grade your currants, too, if you choose ? — R. N. 

 Yorker. 



Pruning" Fruit Trees. — In pruning fruit trees, attention has to be given 

 to the manner in which the particular kind bears its fruit. The cherry and the 

 pear both bear their fruit on short spurs, and in trimming, therefore, the effort 

 should be to produce a large quantity of healthy fruit spurs. Summer pruning 

 does this admirably. The branches that we want to remain as leading shoots 

 should not be touched ; but the weaker ones may be pinched back, about mid- 

 summer, one foot or two-thirds of their growth. This will induce the swelling 

 of a number of buds that will produce flowers instead of branches, and in this 

 way fruit spurs can be obtained on comparatively young trees ; but with such 

 kinds as the grape vine, the fruit is borne on the branches of last year's growth, 

 so that the effort should be to throw all the vigor possible into those growing 

 branches that we want to bear fruit the next season. To do this, we pinch 

 back the shoots that we do not want to extend ; or even pull the weak shoots 

 out altogether. A little pruning is then necessary, in the winter, to shorten 

 back these strong, bearing canes, or to prune out altogether the weaker ones 

 that we check by pinching back during the growing season. — Meehans' 

 Monthly. 



