THE CURRANT. 89 



This may be performed by pressing the cutting into 

 the ground by the line from four to six inches, and 

 from four to six inches apart in the rows ; this done, 

 the earth may be closed to the cuttings by the heel ; 

 the ground may then be neatly raked next to the 

 row, and the work is done. The line may then be 

 moved from a foot to fifteen inches for another row, 

 and so continue until the whole is planted. The 

 ground should be kept clear between the plants the 

 first season, and if they are not wanted to be planted 

 out the next year, in the spring they may be headed 

 down to one eye in each shoot, and some rotten ma- 

 nure put between the rows and dug in neatly ; they 

 will then be in fine order for planting the next year. 



The best and most general method of cultivating 

 the currant is to prepare a rich piece of ground, by 

 manuring, digging, &c., and planting out the young 

 plants from three and a half to four feet square 

 each way, or, where large plantations are to be made, 

 perhaps five feet between the row and three feet in 

 the row would answer a better purpose, as in that 

 case, a sufficient space would be allowed for a horse 

 to work between them. 



The culture of the currant is simply to keep the 

 ground clean and in good order by manuring, dress- 

 ing, &c. The manner of pruning the currant is, to 

 form a tree into four or five leading shoots, and 

 prune in all the small wood every spring, to two or 

 three eyes of the main shoots, leaving a leading 

 shoot of young wood at the end of each main leader, 

 of about five or six eyes. In order to keep the tree 

 in a healthy, vigorous state, it is a good method to 

 train up a young healthy shoot every year, and cut 

 away an old one in such a manner, that the frame 



