288 



NEW AMERICAN ORCHARDIST. 



ornamental; fruit black; size of the black currant; fine- 

 flavored ; rather too acid to be eaten raw, but delicious for 

 tarts. A very hardy ornamental variety, which was brought 

 by Mr. Douglass from the N. W. Coast of America. 



CULTIVATION, SOIL, &c. 



The currant requires a rich soil ; its cultivation is similar 

 to that of the gooseberry, which see. 



PRUNING. " Mr. Macdonald," says Mr. Neill, [Edin. 

 Ency. Vol. x. p. 576,] " raises currants, both red and white, 

 of the finest quality. He prunes the bushes at the usual 

 season, in midwinter, shortening the last year's shoots to an 

 inch and a half. Next summer the plants show plenty of 

 fruit, and at the same time throw out strong shoots. As 

 soon as the berries begin to color, he cuts off the summer 

 shoots to within five or six inches above the fruit. This is 

 commonly done with garden shears, with which a man 

 may go over half an acre of bushes in a day. Sun and 

 air thus get free access, and more of the vigor of the plant 

 is directed to the fruit; the berries are found not only to 

 be of higher flavor, but larger than usual." Mr. A. D. 

 Williams, of Roxbury, practises winter pruning on perfectly 

 similar principles, and with the most successful results. 



GOOSEBERRY. (Ribes Uva-crispa.) 



A native of America and of Europe. A low, branching, 

 prickly shrub, rising to the height of from three to six feet ; 

 the leaves are three-lobed, and sometimes pubescent ; the 

 fruit pendulous, hairy or smooth, round or oblong; its size 

 sometimes equals that of a good-sized plum ; of a green, 

 white, yellow, red, or violet color ; and of a sweet, vinous, 

 or acid flavor; a fruit wonderfully improved by cultivation. 

 According to Loudon, it is found wild in Piedmont, where 

 it is eatable, but astringent and neglected ; in Italy and 



