CURRANT. 193 



requires good culture, and a deep rich soil. It succeeds 

 better in a heavy loam, approaching a clay, than in a light 

 sandy soil. But, whatever the character of the soil, two 

 things are important for producing the best results, a 

 deep soil and a rich one. It being what may be called 

 a gross feeder, manure of almost any kind may be applied 

 A\ith impunity, and in almost any quantity. 



To a few persons this may seem to be a singular recom- 

 mendation, inasmuch as we usually see, in traveling 

 through the country, Currant bushes growing in the fence 

 corners, or in rows where the grass has taken possession 

 of the soil and formed a tough sod about the plants, and 

 still they live and bear fruit. Yet, while I admit that the 

 Currant will live under such treatment, and in quite poor 

 9 soils, it never produces as large of as much fruit as when 

 it has good culture and a rich soil. 



For field culture the plants should be set in rows four 

 or five feet apart, and about four feet in the row. 



Clean cultivation is required as \v^th other plants, and 

 if the whole surface of the soil is covered with mulch dur- 

 ing summer, it will not only insure the maturing of the 

 crop, but will materially increase the size of the fruit. 



North of the latitude of New York City, there is but 

 little trouble in obtaining a full crop of Currants almost 

 every season, but South of this, and particularly on sandy 

 soils, the dry weather often begins so early that the plants 

 ripen, and the leaves fall before the fruit comes to maturi- 

 ty. Deep rich soil and mulching are the best methods for 

 preventing this. 



PRUNING AND TRAINING 



The most common modes of training are what is termed 

 the bush or stool form, and the tree shape. To grow the 

 bushes in the stool form, it is only necessary to set out 

 the plants singly, and allow them to throw up suckers 

 from the main stem or roots, which all the varieties 

 9 



