54 THE FRUIT-TREE AND SHRUB PRUXER. 



admit the light and air, cutting it in to within a few 

 buds. 



All suckers must be totally eradicated from the base, 

 but never cut back to the surface of the ground with 

 the knife, which is frequently done, and is sure to end 

 in the ruin of the tree. The cause of these root suckers 

 is badly made cuttings in the first instance, and 

 secondly, imprudently digging too near the stem, maim- 

 ing the roots and turning them up to the surface, when 

 they emit shoots ; and when once the Gooseberry com- 

 mences to do this it is difficult to prevent it continuing 

 to do so afterwards. 



The ground between Gooseberries should never be dug 

 with the spade, but with a three-pronged potato fork, 

 and then not too deep ; eight or nine inches are quite 

 enough. In making Gooseberry cuttings, be careful to 

 denude the cutting of all the buds except one at its base 

 and two or three at the top. 



Gooseberry pruning should not be done much before 

 the month of March ; by that time it can be seen what 

 is good fruit-bearing wood, and what is not. It often 

 happens that, if pruned before March, the only fruit- 

 bearing wood left on purpose for a crop has been com- 

 pletely divested of all the buds by the bullfinches, and 

 sometimes by the sparrows, so that probably there will 

 be no crop at all. But if the pruning is left till the 

 buds get pretty forward the birds will not touch them, 

 and a crop may be insured. If the finches have picked 

 out the buds, which they always do along the long 

 outward young wood, then it is best to cut it back to a 

 sound bud, or a budless limb will result. 



Espalier Gooseberries. 



Espalier Gooseberries are very convenient things for 

 small gardens, and form pretty low breaks around some 

 quarters of the garden. These low espaliers may be 

 pruned, as shown in Fig. 45, into long spurs, leaving 

 three buds at the base of the last season's growth. These 

 will bear fruit in abundance. Stakes of iron rod 2 feet 



