NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 53 



Blackberries. Great improvements have been made 

 of late years in this useful fruit. They will grow in any soil, 

 but they prefer a moist, shady situation. They may be 

 planted against any back fence or outhouse. The Lawton 

 may be grown in rows like the raspberry, and pruned in 

 the same manner. The Italian is a late variety, ripening 

 towards the Autumn ; the fruit is not quite so large as the 

 Lawton, but the flavour is much finer : it is not however so 

 profuse a cropper. 



The Currant. The red and white will thrive in any 

 light, rich soil, and may be produced from seed, but the 

 more general mode of propagation is by cuttings. Select 

 strong shoots of last season's growth, from six to twelve 

 inches long, cutting off a few inches of the top, then remove all 

 the eyes except three or four at the top, plant in rows one foot 

 .apart each way, this may be done at the same time as 

 pruning. The young plants will be ready for planting out 

 the second year. On the first formation of the head much 

 of the future symmetry of the bush depends. The heart of 

 the bush must be kept well opened by pinching out or 

 rubbing off all the young shoots which have a tendency to 

 grow inwards. The leaders, that is the main branches, must 

 have each season's growth cut back at least one-half its 

 length, the object being to encourage side spurs, which 

 should be cut back to within half-an-inch of the base. 

 These are the spurs which bear the fruit. A well-formed 

 tree should have ten or a dozen main stems. Suckers must 

 be removed as soon as they appear above ground. Another 

 system of training currant and gooseberry bushes is by tying 

 the main stems down to a hoop which has been fastened 

 to stakes stuck in the ground; the hoop (wood or iron) 

 being fastened with copper wire. The centre of the bush is 

 kept clear of all spray or superfluous wood, the spurs or side 

 branches which grow from the main stems are pinched back 

 in Summer, or cut back to within a couple of eyes in Winter. 

 This system of training entails some extra trouble without, 

 in our opinion, producing commensurate results. The best 

 varieties are the Red and White Dutch. There are several 

 new varieties possessing great excellence. 



Black Currant. This currant delights in a rich, moist 

 soil, and will thrive in shady situations. Differing from the 



