CULTURE, ETC. 233 



soil, under high culture, that varieties exhibit their pecuh'ar charac- 

 ters. We have grown the Cherry currant in a poor, gravelly soil, 

 and on a rich loam, and could hardly recognize the fruit as the same ; 

 the first being only of medium size and indifferent character, while 

 in the second they were large, as described, and possessing the 

 sharp acid characteristic of the variety. The situation ghould be 

 free from shade of trees, but if shaded by hedge or fence, so as to 

 give the morning and evening and not the noonday sun, the fruit 

 will ripen and hang on much later, serving, by means of a few plants 

 so placed in each garden, to continue the currant season from July to 

 September. 



Culture. The soil should be well enriched with rotted barn-yard 

 manure every Fall ; this should be spaded or forked in lightly, and 

 during the fruit season the ground should be kept clean of weeds. 



Pruning. This should be pursued much as is described under 

 head of Gooseberries, except that the suckers, or a portion of them, 

 should be permitted to grow ; while wood of three years old should 

 be regularly cut out. Where new shoots springing from the root are 

 not permitted to grow, but plants kept as miniature trees, it will be 

 necessary to furnish plants every four or five years ; and as the best 

 and largest fruit is borne upon wood of the preceding year's growth, 

 it is always best to retain as much of that as possible, compatible 

 with form and habit of the plant ; which should present, when fairly 

 grown, or at three years from setting, a bush of pyramidal shape, 

 three to five feet high, and about two to three in diameter. 



The Currant, as well as Gooseberry, may both be trained as Esjia- 

 liers, or otherwise, to suit the fancy or particular situations, producing 

 freely of fruit in all positions, and of good quality when well supplied 

 with food. 



Insects. The Currant Borer i^^geria tijndiformis) attacks the 

 Currant, but is seldom met with in the West, or in gardens where 

 the three years' old wood is regularly cut away, thereby giving 

 vigor to the remainder of the plant. This insect is produced from a 

 blue-black moth, appearing about the middle of June, and depositing 

 its eggs near the lower buds ; these hatch, and the young borer en- 

 ters the stem to the pith, which it devours. The best remedy is to 

 cut off and hum all branches affected. 



The Abraxas (?) Eiberaria is said to destroy the foliage of the 

 Currant and Gooseberry, and prevent the perfection of fruit. We 

 have not seen the insect at the West. It is fully described in the 

 New York State Agricultural Transactions for 1847, pages 461 to 

 469, by Asa Fitch, M.D. 



Uses. Familiar to every one are the uses of the Currant ; green, 

 it is made into pies, and bottled for similar use in Winter, by gather- 

 ing when of full size, or just before they commence turning red; have 



