THE CURRANT. 133 



ened, or very early in the following spring. These 

 should be taken from the strongest and cleanest 

 shoots of the last summer's growth, rubbing off the 

 buds to within three or four at the top ; they 

 should then be inserted from three to five inche.s 

 deep, according to the nature of the soil and 

 situation; all buds that may push below those 

 left at the top, to form the head of the bush, 

 should be cut away. Gooseberries bear their 

 fruit on the last year's shoots, and on short natu- 

 ral studs or spurs ; they will continue to bear on 

 the same buds or spurs for many years, especially 

 if the branches are kept open and free for the ad- 

 mission of the sun and air. To have large fruit, 

 they should be trained to resemble a well-formed 

 tree in miniature ; the ground around the bushes 

 should be enriched with well-rotted manure ; cut 

 out all decayed or irregular branches, let none be 

 permitted to grow across each other ; also the su- 

 perabundant lateral shoots of the last summer, on 

 the old wood near the ground, only retaining here 

 and there one in vacant parts, to form successional 

 bearers, and to supply the places of unfruitful 

 branches. * 



THE CURRANT. 



The white, red, and black currants are the va- 

 rieties in cultivation ; the two first are indigenous 

 to Britain. The white, which is supposed to be 

 a hybrid, accidentally produced by culture, and 

 has been brought to a high degree of cultivation 

 by the Dutch (who do not, however, claim it as a 

 native of Holland), are the varieties which our 

 gardens at this time present. They are all justly 

 12 



