60 MV HANDKERCHIEF GARDEN. 



in December, the whole bed must be well covered 

 with leaves or straw. The following spring it should 

 be removed as soon as the frost is out of the ground, 

 and then be put about the plants when the crop be- 

 gins to ripen and again taken off after the crop is 

 gathered. 



The twelve currants should stand in three rows, 

 about three feet apart and four in a row. The first 

 year all that is needed is good rich soil and constant 

 regular culture. In winter the plants take care of 

 themselves, and all that is needed is to leave the soil 

 loose and well broken up the last thing in the fall. 

 The second year a small sample crop may be gathered 

 just by way of encouragement. The third year the 

 bushes will bear abundantly. The bushes are greatly 

 benefitted by careful training. Cut out each spring 

 all stems that cross other stems or that crowd each 

 other, and all stems that show signs of decay or 

 injury from any cause. The chief object is to have 

 open, well shaped and rather short bushes with clean, 

 healthy stems and free from suckers or adventurous 

 shoots springing up round the roots. A single stem 

 with a branching head is perhaps the best form. 



The grapes should be planted in the spring as 

 early as convenient, making good large holes in the 

 ?oil to receive the roots, and. spreading each root 

 out carefully in its proper place. An entire book 

 might be written on the training of grapes. There 

 ire as many ways as there are varieties, and it will be 

 Si good plan to read some good book on the grape 

 and its culture before planting. The idea on which 

 ail systems of training the grape vine are based is 

 very simple. The fruit is borne on green wood of 

 the present season that grows out of ripe wood that 

 grew the previous season. Your object must always 

 be to have good ripe wood from which next year will 



