288 tfEVfr AMERItJAtf ORCHA&Dl'STl 



ornamental; fruit black; size of the black currant; fine 1 - 

 flavored ; rather too acid to be eaten raw, but delicious for 

 tarts. A very hardy ornamental variety, which was brought 

 by Mr. Douglass from the N. W. Coast of America. 



CULTIVATION, SOIL, &c. 



The currant requires a rich soil; its cultivation is simi-kr 

 to that of the gooseberry, which see. 



PRUNING. " Mr. Macdonald," says Mr. Neill, [Edin, 

 Ency. Vol. x. p. 576,] " raises currants, both red and white,, 

 of the finest quality. He primes the bushes tit t-toe usivat 

 season, in midwinter, shortening the last year's shoots to an 

 inch and a half. Next summer the plants show plenty of 

 fruit, and at the same time throw out strong shoots. As 

 soon as the berries begin to cok>r, he cuts oiF the summer 

 shoots to within five or six inches above the fruit. This is 

 eommonly done with garden shears, with which a mart 

 may go over half an acre of bushes in- a day. Sun and 

 air thus get free access, and more of the vigor of the plant 

 is directed to the fruit ; the berries are found not only to 

 be of higher flavor, but larger than usual-/' Mr. A. ]>, 

 Williams, ofRoxbury, practises winter pruning on perfectly 

 eimilar principles, and with the most successful results. 



GOOSEBERRY. (Hides Um-crispa.) 



A native of America and of Europe. A low, branching, 

 prickly shrub, rising to the height of from three to six feet ; 

 the leaves are three-lobed, and sometimes pubescent ; the? 

 fruit pendulous, hairy or smooth, round of oblong ; its size 

 sometimes equals that of a good-sized plum ; of a green, 

 white, yellow, red, or violet color ; and of a sweet, vinous, 

 or acid flavor ; a fruit wonderfully improved by cultivation. 

 According to London, it is found wild in Piedmont, where 

 it is eatable, but astringent and neglected ; in Italy and 



