GOOSEBERRIES PRUNING AND TRAINING. z\i 



a foot in length, or weak at the ends and unripe, the branches are not shortened ; but if 

 pruning is considered desirable it is confined to shortening them to firm wood and proper 

 buds, that is, buds on the under side of erect and the upper side of the branches of 

 pendulous varieties. The three branches produce a number of side-shoots in the following 

 summer, most of which are cut back to one eye in autumn, and the others to about half 

 their length, but only where there is room for them, as the fewer the shoots the larger 

 will be the fruit. The tree in the autumn after planting is pruned so as to consist of three 

 primary branches, each with two young shoots, these being shortened to 7 or 8 inches. 

 In the following year the two branches on each primary have two shoots each left at the 

 winter pruning, and these are shortened to about 7 inches, cutting off all others closely. 

 The bush now consists of three primaries, forked twice, or twelve branches altogether, 

 spread out (as near as may be) flat, and about 1 foot from the ground. These branches 

 are a good distance apart. The marvellous fruits grown in Lancashire, Cheshire, and 

 neighbouring counties are the produce of young shoots of the previous year, for the 

 younger the tree, and the less crowded with wood, the larger and finer the fruit. 

 Besides this, there is an all-round special system of culture, namely : the one-year-old 

 three-branched bush is planted in prepared soil sound loam, preferably marty, deeply 

 stirred, sweetened and enriched with partially decayed stable manure, adding fresh, turfy 

 loam to old garden soil, and always covering the roots with sweet, aerated mould. In 

 the growing season attention is strictly given to watering and feeding the roots, and 

 saucers full of water are placed under the fruits, almost or quite touching them, to 

 supply the limited number retained with moisture. This is called " suckling " by 

 the Lancashire growers and, combined with keeping the growths thin, insures the 

 perfect swelling of the severely thinned berries. Every two or three years the roots 

 are uncovered in autumn, and the strongest cut back nearly one-half of their length, 

 laying them in, and covering with fresh marly loam, which so invigorates the trees 

 by the increased number of active feeders as to produce fruit of superlative excellence. 



Upright Training for Espaliers, Fences or Walls. The trees for these purposes should 

 be one year from the cutting, clean, healthy, and strong with a clear stem 6 inches or more 

 in height. If intended for a single cordon select the most upright and strongest shoot, 

 shorten it to 1 foot from its base, securing the part retained to the support perfectly 

 upright, and cut the other shoots to within an inch of their origin. The following year 

 the leader will push several growths ; train the best one as leader, and if any laterals 

 are produced from it pinch them to one leaf, shortening them to within an inch of the 



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