MAY.] SMALL FRUITS. ^41 



General care of small Fruits. 

 Continue the care of new planted bushes of all 

 kinds, as directed last month, with regard to mul- 

 ching and watering, according to the state of the 

 weather ; also, to destroy insects or vermin that 

 may annoy them, as far as practicable, and as fully 

 noticed in April. 



Of summer priming Cury^ants^ Gooseberries^ and 

 Raspberries. 



It is not a very common practice to summer^ 

 prune currants and gooseberries, but it is essential 

 to their welfare, and to the production of fine fruit, 

 if judiciously performed. It also, in a great mea- 

 sure, tends to prevent the ravages of the caterpillar. 

 No doubt a moderate degree of shade is aiding to 

 the swelling of the fruit to a full size ; but if, by 

 too much, it be excluded from the sun and air, it 

 will be wanting in flavour ; therefore the hearts of 

 the plants should be regularly thinned of the cross 

 and water shoots; and all suckers rising about the 

 roots ought to be carefully twisted oft] as they ap- 

 pear. If part of the shoots that rise about the 

 stools of raspberries were twisted off, or otherwise 

 destroyed, at this time also, it would let in the air 

 about them ; the shoots left for bearing next year 

 would increase in strength, and the fruit now upon 

 the plants, in size. 



Of summer dressing and watering Strawbemes. 

 ^Strawberrie3, planted in rows, (which is a better 



