CURRANT. 189 



The following plan is one that I have followed with 

 success : 



Gather the fruit when ripe and wash out the seeds, then 

 mix them with pure sand, and put in boxes or pots, and 

 bury them in a shady place, such as the north side of 

 some building or fence, where they will remain cool or 

 frozen until the ground, in which they are to be sown, is 

 in a condition to receive them. If they are placed in a 

 situation where the sun will reach them, they are very 

 likely to germinate either during winter or as soon as the 

 frost leaves them in the spring, often before the ground 

 will admit of their being planted. If the seeds are frozen 

 after they have sprouted, it will usually destroy the germ 

 and prevent further growth. With many persons the 

 cause of failure in growing the Currant and Gooseberry 

 from seed is, that they either place them in a situation 

 where they sprout and cannot grow, or where too warm 

 and wet, and when the seeds are taken out to be sown in 

 spring they appear to be sound, yet their vitality is gone. 



The seeds of all the species of Ribes will germinate at 

 a very low temperature, and if we keep them moist, and 

 where they do not freeze, they are very liable to start be- 

 fore the open ground is in a condition to receive them. 

 The seeds may be sown immediately after being taken 

 from the fruit, but in sections of the country where the 

 weather is very changeable, and the ground is frequently 

 frozen and thawed, there is more or less danger of injury 

 from causes above stated. If the seeds are kept dry dur- 

 ing winter, they should be soaked in warm water for two 

 or three days before sowing. 



Sow in single or wide drills, covering the seed one-half 

 of an inch deep with fine soil. Keep them clear of weeds, 

 and if the weather is dry, give them occasionally a good 

 soaking with water. 



Transplant, when one year old, into rows three feet 

 apart, and the plants two feet apart in the rows. 



