438 



THE ORCHARD. 



[JUNE 



Fig. 50. 



Shoot of Gooseberry-bush. 



a, a, a, a, wood-buda. 

 6, b, b, b, fruit-buds. 

 c, c, c, young shoots cut back. 



first produced may be nailed to the wall ; 

 or the middle shoot may be cut out, 

 leaving the two lowest laterals, and 

 allowing them to take its place ; thus 

 frequently obtaining two fruit-bearing 

 branches, when the former one would 

 in all probability have been wholly un- 

 productive of fruit the following year." 



THE GOOSEBERRY-BUSH. Left to its 

 natural growth, the Gooseberry becomes 

 an almost impenetrable thicket, not at 

 all adapted for producing such fine fruit 

 as is produced by plants properly culti- 

 vated and pruned. 



In the accompanying cut it will be 

 seen that the wood-buds, a, a, a, a, are 

 on the last summer's shoot, whilst the 

 fruit-buds, b, b, 6, b, are on two-years 

 old wood, and produce the largest and 

 finest fruit, but they may be seen on 

 wood much older. The buds marked 

 , are called wood-buds, because from 

 them young shoots are produced, but 

 usually not from all of them; for it ap- 

 pears, that of the buds on the two-years 

 old wood, which, a twelvemonth back, 

 were similar to those now marked a, 

 three had produced shoots, c, c, c, and 

 the others formed the fruit-buds, b } b, 

 b,b. 



After the plants have formed shoots, 

 these must be shortened according to 

 their strength ; if moderately strong, to 

 about six inches. In shortening, care 

 must be taken to cut to a bud pointing 

 the most towards the direction which 

 the branch should follow, in order to 

 complete the form in which the plants 

 are intended to be kept. The general 

 mode is to keep the bush hollow in the 

 middle, and six, eight or ten branches 

 at equal distances, or as nearly so as 

 possible. If two branches are likely to 

 approach too near each other, one or 

 both must be cut to buds pointing in 

 the opposite direction ; thus, in the 

 accompanying figure, supposing the 

 branch were intended to be prolonged 

 more towards the left, then the young 

 shoot is properly cut, as represented, for 



