PRUNING THE CURRANT. 335 



with the limbs that are designed to remain ; and 

 also that suckers, which make their appearance, 

 may be checked. This latter should not be done 

 by simply cutting them off, which would only in- 

 duce a more vigorous growth ; but they should be 

 twisted off, and then the tissue of the wood will be 

 so far destroyed as to prevent its throwing a new 

 shoot. The bush should not be restrained to 'one 

 stem, because in the frequent attacks of the borer 

 the plant would be entirely destroyed ; but two or 

 three stems may be allowed. The currant bears 

 fruit on spurs from the old wood, as well as upon 

 the new ; therefore if any of the superfluous shoots 

 of the last year are cut back, an inch or two should 

 be left on which spurs may be produced. All the 

 old wood which has become unfruitful should be 

 cut out, to make room for some of the young limbs. 

 Very many successful growers of this fruit in Eng- 

 land have cut back the growth to a few inches, 

 when the berries begin to color, and have thought 

 that it greatly improved the quality of the fruit ; but 

 in this country such treatment would be far from 

 judicious, as our sun is so powerful that it would 

 cause them to shrivel and dry, as do the common 

 Dutch varieties under ordinary treatment. The 

 shade afforded by the young shoots is not as injuri- 

 ous here as the deprivation would be, as affecting 

 the length of the season. 



