CURRANTS. 59 



21, page 58), this being one of the branches 

 of the miniature bush in the preceding sketch. It 

 will now be seen how easy it is to prune a Red 

 Currant bush properly; also it will be perceived how 

 easy it is for the inexperienced to go wrong with- 

 out these little " object lessons". 



There are two important points still to be men- 

 tioned, and they should not be forgotten. The 

 first is, to have the main branches so wide apart 

 that not the hand only of a man can be passed 

 easily between them after pruning, but there 

 should almost be room for his hat. The fruiting 

 branch shows both the necessity and the result of, 

 say a foot of space between the branches after the 

 pruning is completed. The crop is not in the slightest 

 degree exaggerated, and such yields cannot be had 

 from crowded bushes, nor can they be gathered 

 half so quickly as when the main branches are 

 thinly disposed. 



The next point to be remembered, is not to allow 

 more than a foot of young wood to remain at the 

 ends of the main branches yearly ; the growth may 

 extend beyond that in summer, then to be topped, 

 but should be cut back in winter to nine inches. 

 If more is permitted, less spurs will form, and con- 

 sequently less fruit follow. 



Standard Currants. Most persons know 



