Currants. 427 



and to keep up a constant supply of young bearing wood, yielding 

 large and excellent crops. 



The currant and gooseberry, like the cherry, bear their fruit on 

 shoots two or more years old ; and it is important that a succession 

 of strong young shoots be maintained for this purpose. The 

 branches of the heads should therefore be distributed at equal dis- 

 tances, and the old bearing spurs cut out when they become too 

 thick or enfeebled, and new shoots allowed successively to take their 

 place. 



When the young gooseberry or currant bush is set out, all the 

 buds or suckers below the surface of the ground should be pre- 

 viously cut off clean, so as to form a clear stem. It is often recom- 

 mended that this stem be a foot high before branching which does 

 well for the moist climate of England ; but under our hot suns it is 

 better that the branches begin near the surface of the ground. 



Old currant bushes, such as have grown up to a thick mass, may 

 be greatly improved, and will increase the fruit several times the 

 size, by thinning out clean all the old crooked wood, and leaving a 

 sufficient number of young stems at equal distances, to bear the 

 future crop. 



The English gooseberry, in this country, will remain free from 

 mildew only so long as it is kept in a vigorous growing condition by 

 frequent and judicious pruning, so as to give a constant succession 

 of strong shoots. 



CLASS I. Red and White Currants (Ribes rubrum). 



Attrattor. Large, very white, handsome, strong grower and produc- 

 tive. French. 



Caucasian. Berries very large, red, bunches long. Growth vigor- 

 ous, very productive, of fine quality. New and valuable. 



CHERRY CURRANT. Very large, nearly twice the size of the com- 

 mon Red Dutch, often five-eighths of an inch in diameter ; round, 

 dark red, clusters moderately short, quite acid. Growth large, 

 tall, and luxuriant. Sometimes unproductive. Italy. The flavor 

 is improved by hanging long. 



Dana's New White. Large, white, transparent; bunches large, 

 compact. A strong, upright grower, productive. New. Pro- 

 mising. 



