JAN.] THE FRUIT GARDEN. 43 



shoot will be most likely produced, which is necessary to the welfare 

 of the fruit ; for where a leading shoot is produced at or near the 

 extremity of a bearing branch, it draws nourishment to the fruit 

 more effectually. 



After having pruned one tree, let it be directly nailed or bound as 

 you go on, observing to lay in the branches and shoots horizontally, 

 perfectly straight, and parallel to each other at the above mentioned 

 distances, nailing them all close to the wall, or tying them to the 

 trellis in a neat manner. 



PRUNE GOOSEBERRY AND CURRANT-TREES. 



Gooseberries and currants bear both on the young one or two 

 years' wood, and upon the several years' branches, generally upon 

 small spurs rising naturally all along the sides ; and in each winter- 

 pruning it will be required to cut out any casual worn-out, decayed, 

 and very irregular branches, and a proportionate supply of last sum- 

 mer's young shoots retained, and the rest pruned out. 



In pruning gooseberries let them be always kept thin of branches, 

 and these not permitted to grow ramblingly across one another, but 

 all pruned to some regular order, so as the main bearers, or general 

 branches and shoots, stand six or eight inches distant at the ex- 

 tremities ; and generally either keep the middle somewhat hollow, or 

 if permitted to run up full in the heart, keep it thin of branches, as 

 above advised ; so that you will now prune out any irregularities, &c., 

 such as casual crowding cross-placed wood, and any worn-out or 

 naked old branches retaining young shoots, where necessary to sup- 

 ply their place ; and cut out all the superabundant lateral shoots of 

 last summer, close to the old wood, only retaining here and there a 

 good one in vacancies, or occasionally towards the lower parts, to be 

 advancing to a proper state to supply the place of casual worn-out 

 bearers; and generally leave, where practicable, a terminating or 

 leading shoot to each main branch, either such as is placed naturally 

 at or near the end of the branch ; or, occasionally, where any branch 

 is too long or rambling, prune it down to some convenient lateral 

 shoot, &c., to remain for a terminal leader ; and, in both cases, gene- 

 rally leave but one terminal to each branch ; and all those shoots 

 now retained, both lateral and terminal, should either be mostly left 

 entire, and only shorten long stragglers, and very bending and re- 

 clining growths occasionally ; or at least by no means shorten the 

 shoots of these trees too much, for by cutting them very short, they 

 are made to produce a deal of wood and but small fruit ; and being 

 so full of wood as to exclude the sun and free air in summer, the 

 fruit cannot ripen well ; and it likewise renders it troublesome to get 

 at the fruit when fit to gather. Never clip the trees with garden 

 shears, as is the practice of some ignorant persons. 



Currant bushes should likewise be kept thin and regular, not suf- 

 fering the branches to run promiscuously across each other ; for 

 when suffered to grow so irregular and crowding they produce but 

 small fruit ; and the great thicket of branches excluding the essen- 

 tial benefit of the sun, the berries will not ripen freely and regular, 



