262 POPULAR FRUIT GROWING. 



in the following growing season. In pruning, the old wood which 

 is weakened by age should be cut out close to the ground and 

 enough new sprouts from the roots should be encouraged to take 

 its place. Not more than from four to six shoots from the roots 

 should be allowed to remain. If all are allowed to grow, too 

 much bearing wood will be produced and the fruit will conse- 

 quently be very small. The wood which is infested by borers 

 should also be cut away. 



Tree currants are frequently advertised as being very desir- 

 able and are often sold at a high price. They are, in fact, merely 

 our common currants pruned so as to make them take on a tree- 

 like form. They appear very pretty while growing, but having 

 only one stem the first borer that attacks it destroys the plant. 

 To make plants take on this tree-form, all but one upper bud is 

 rubbed off the cuttings when they are set out. The remaining 

 bud pushes up a straight shoot, which is allowed to branch at 

 about a foot from the ground and to make a miniature tree. 

 Such plants seldom send up sprouts, so the stem cannot be re- 

 newed. The common red currant is sometimes grafted on the 

 strong growing Ribes aureura, but such plants are open to the 

 same objections as other tree currants and are only valuable as 

 curiosities. 



Winter protection. — The Red Dutch and a few other very 

 excellent varieties are perfectly hardy in almost any soil or situ- 

 ation, but some of the kinds producing the largest fruit are oc- 

 casionally injured in severe locations in winter. They may, how- 

 ever, be protected by covering them with earth, but if so treated 

 they will need to be mulched or to have some support to keep 

 the fruit off the ground, as the canes will not straighten up well 

 In the spring after being bent down all winter. Another way 

 of giving some protection is to tie the stems together in autumn 

 with string or willow withes. This is very desirable where the 

 snow drifts over the plants, as it prevents their being broken by 

 it when it settles in the spring. More protection is afforded by 

 this treatment than is generally supposed. 



Marketing. — It is customary to market the currant in bas- 

 kets holding about six or eight pounds, but sometimes quart 

 boxes and other packages are used for this purpose. One must 



