306 THE NURSERY. [MARCH 



in the nursery, designed for plantations of young trees, shrubs, &c., 

 this spring, should now be completed as soon as possible, in due time 

 for the reception of the respective plants intended, which, in the de- 

 ciduous kinds particularly, should be mostly or generally finished by 

 the middle or latter end of this month, and the evergreens soon after 

 that time. (See April.) 



Finish all digging between the rows of young trees, &c., in this 

 month if possible ; and also in all parts where planting is intended 

 this spring, provided that the ground will work freely. 



PROPAGATING GOOSEBERRIES AND CURRANTS. 



The only proper method of propagating gooseberries and currants, 

 is by cuttings ; suckers should never be resorted to except in cases of 

 necessity, for such will always produce others numerously from their 

 roots, which carry off the nourishment that ought to go to the sup- 

 port of the fruit; and besides, they form such thickets as to smother 

 and deprive them of the benefit of a free circulating air. 



The proper cuttings for planting are the shoots of the last sum- 

 mer's production, of straight, clean growth ; they should be taken 

 from healthy trees, and such as are remarkable, according to their 

 kinds, for bearing the finest fruit ; let each be shortened from about 

 ten to twelve or fifteen to eighteen inches long, according to its 

 strength. 



Previous to planting, cut off every bud as close as possible to the 

 shoot, except three, four, or five near the top, which are to be left to 

 form the head of the plant. Some people imagine that the buds on 

 those parts inserted in the earth grow into roots, which is by no 

 means the case, nature never having designed them for such ; the 

 roots or fibres always strike out through the clean and smooth bark, 

 but generally a little below a bud, and sometimes at the lower ex- 

 tremity of the cutting from between the bark and the wood. In 

 some kinds these buds decay and die away, but in gooseberries and 

 currants they always rise in suckers, and from these others innume- 

 rably, which always rob the fruit, and often render even the best 

 kinds not worth their room in the garden. 



Your cuttings being thus prepared, plant them in rows eighteen 

 inches or two feet asunder, and about eight or nine inches apart in 

 the rows, always inserting them at least six inches into the earth, 

 3,nd if the shoots are sufficiently long, eight or nine, leaving from 

 "four to ten inches, according to circumstances, of a clean stem be- 

 tween the surface earth and lowest left bud, upon which to establish 

 the head. Having had one or two years' growth in these rows, they 

 may be planted out either in autumn or early in spring, where in- 

 tended for fruiting, but autumn is the most preferable season. 



G-ooseberries, of all other fruit-trees, require the richest soil. 

 The situation should neither be too high nor too low, nor the soil 

 much inclined to gravel or sand, a deep rich loam is their favorite. 

 Where this fruit is expected in the best perfection, the ground be- 

 tween and about the trees must be kept free from weeds, and dug 

 every spring and autumn, and strongly manured once a year with 



