194 SMALL FEUIT CULTURIST. 



and species do quite readily. The young shoots may be 

 shortened or entirely removed, for the purpose of giving 

 the bush a regular shape, and make it open or compact, 

 as desired. 



The varieties of the Ribes rubrum^ to which species our 

 common Red and White kinds belong, are usually grown 

 in this form, especially when cultivated in large quantities, 

 and for market purposes. 



The fruit is mainly produced on the wood two or more 

 years old, and when a branch has borne two or three 

 crops, it is best to remove it and allow a new one to take 

 its place, as young wood generally produces larger fruit 

 than that which is very old. 



About all the pruning that 'is necessary is to cut out, oc- 

 casionally, the old wood, and shorten the most vigorous 

 of the young growth. 



If too many young shoots or suckers appear, and they 

 are likely to become crowded, a portion of them should 

 be cut out, so that the air and sun may have free access 

 to those that remain. 



All dead or diseased shoots should be annually removed, 

 and only the best and most luxuriant ones preserved. If 

 the ends of the growing shoots are pinched off during the 

 summer, it will cause them to become more stocky and 

 fully ripe, while at the same time it will increase the size 

 of the fruit which may be on the branch below. 



The main object should be to properly develop every 

 portion of the plant, and this cannot be done if it becomes 

 crowded, either with old or new wood. 



A half dozen large, vigorous shoots will give more and 

 larger fruit than double that number of weak and imma- 

 ture ones. 



When the plants are to be trained with single stems, 

 the system should be commenced with the cutting, dis- 

 budding that portion which is placed below ground, and 

 when those above ground push, rub off all but one, and 



