Hints on Vegetable and Fruit Farming. 21 



Red CurkaNTS. — These bushes are propagated in the same 

 way as gooseberry-bushes, from cuttings put in a nursery. The 

 length of the stem can be regulated by the number of " eyes " 

 retained on the cutting ; but it is generally better to let the 

 stocks be short. Bushes may be taken out from the nursery after 

 the second year, and put 5 J feet apart, or 6 feet if standard trees 

 are planted with them. The distance at which currants and 

 gooseberries are put, whether 5 J feet or 6 feet, must depend upon 

 the quality of the soil to some extent. Currant-bushes must be 

 kept cup-shaped, and the terminal shoots should be pruned to 

 lengths of from 6 inches to 9 inches, according to their vigour. 

 Laterals should not be pruned away, as in gooseberry-bushes, 

 but cut back, so that spurs may be formed, upon which the 

 fruit is grown. The best sorts are the Scotch, the Imperial, 

 Red Dutch, and the Raby Castle. There is a kind of red 

 currant known as the Queen Victoria, whose bunches and 

 berries are exceedingly large and fine. This is particularly 

 adapted for growing in the gardens of farms, as it requires 

 rather more care than other kinds, and the fruit makes a good 

 display. If it were packed in small neat boxes, or baskets, and 

 set off with coloured paper, the fruit would bring good prices in 

 London, Brighton, and other places. Here, again, the garden 

 of the farm may well be utilised. Bushes may be bought of 

 fruit-farmers at from 65. to 95. per 100. An average crop is 

 from 4500 lbs. to 5200 lbs. per acre, and the p^ice runs from 

 \^d. to 2^d. per lb., while the amount of expense per acre is 

 about the same as in the case of gooseberry-bushes. There is 

 a very large and increasing demand for this fruit for jelly, jam, 

 and for bottling. 



Black Currant-bushes, as has been said, require a deep, 

 moist soil. They are easily propagated by cuttings. Care 

 should be taken not to cut these too long, nor to remove the 

 buds, as the bushes should have very short stems or stocks. In 

 fact, in most cases black currant-bushes do not grow from a 

 single stem, as in the case of gooseberry and red currant-bushes, 

 but are stocks close to the ground. As the fruit comes on 

 seasoned wood of the previous year, the young wood requires 

 to be pruned away. After the first year or two no shortening 

 of leading spurs is required, and the pruner need not be afraid 

 of cutting hard, at least when the bushes are on kindly land. 

 Bushes can be purchased of fruit-farmers at from 65. to 9^. per 

 100. The cultivation and manuring are exactly the same as for 

 gooseberries and red currant-bushes. The best sorts are : Naples, 

 the Green Bud, Baldwin's, and Lee's Prolific. There is a sort 

 called the Prince of Wales, which has large berries and comes 



