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into two. As the fruit buds are formed close against the .older 

 wood, the pruning consists in spur-pruning all the young shoots, 

 and shortening the leading shoot, leaving about one-third of its 

 length. The tendency is to grow red currants with longer boughs 

 than formerly, and thereby get more fruit. Red currants are usually 

 planted 4 l / 2 ft. to 5ft. apart, or perhaps a little wider on very good 

 soil. As with other bush fruits, the land should be well manured 

 before planting, and other crops may be grown for one or two 

 years between the young currant bushes, if care is taken in culti- 

 vating and lifting the crop. In order to encourage quick growth 

 the plantation should be frequently hoed. 



In pruning the bushes it is important to cut nearly up to the 

 buds to avoid leaving lifeless snags, which harbour the maggots of 

 the Currant Clearwing Fly. 



Nuts. Nut plantations thrive well on the Kentish Rag Rock 

 in the neighbourhood of Maidstone and Wrotham. They are said 

 to commence to be remunerative at about six years old, to be at 

 their best production from about the fifteenth to fiftieth year, to 

 yield on an average ycwts. or Scwts. per acre, worth about 30 

 per ton, and on suitable soil to last sixty years and upwards. 



The approximate cost of planting and cultivation are stated by 

 one large grower, viz., Mr. George Smith, of Loddington, near 

 Maidstone, to be as follows: 



Nuts with Gooseberries or Currants. 



(Cost per Acre of Planting). 



s. d. 



Ploughing and harrowing i o o 



Setting out land for planting o 3 o 



Digging holes and planting (194 holes, 15 feet apart, 



1 8 inches square) taking out soil 6 inches deep, 



and loosening the subsoil another foot in depth . 015 o 

 104 four-year old Kentish cob nut trees at 20$. 



per 100 i 18 10 



Digging holes, and planting gooseberries or currants 



at 5 feet apart i o o 



i 548 gooseberries at 12*., currants at 8s. per 100, 



average, say, IQS. per 100 7 T 4 



Mulching nut trees with 4 loads dung with labour .140 



Total ... 13 14 10 



