238 . CURUANTS. 



cover a proper depth, shaking" the plants gentlj^ as the 

 earth is filled in, tread it moderately, and place some 

 long" litter on the suri'ace, to preserve moisture. Sup- 

 port the tallest with stakes. 



The g-round must always he kept clear of weeds ; for, 

 whatever the}' take is just so much taken from the fruit, 

 either in quantit}^, or in quality, or in both. Taking oif 

 the earth round the roots of fruit bearing shrubs and 

 vines, throwing in soap-suds, that has been uped in wash- 

 ing, and then replacing the earth, has a most beneficial 

 effect. 



As the time of planting varies in diiTerent seasons, the 

 only sure guide is, to phmt all kinds of shrubs, k,c. as 

 soon as their buds begin to swell, or a little before. 



CURRANTS. 



Currants are easily propngaled from cuttings. (.Sp« 

 Cuttings.) They will furnish themselves with roots, and 

 bear fruit the second 3'^ear. They will do very well 

 even on light and sandy soils ; but, pei"haps, the best 

 soil for them is a good mellow sandy loam. With prop- 

 er culture, however, they will grow pretty well on al- 

 most an}^ soil that is not too hard and poor. When the 

 bush has stood 2 years in the nursery, plant it where it 

 is to stand; and take care that it has only one stem. — 

 Let lio limbs grow nearer than 6 inches of the ground. 

 Prune the shrub every year; and keep it thin of wood, 

 keep the middle open ; the limbs extended ; and when 

 these get to about 3 fett in length, cut off, every spring, 

 all the last years shoots. Cultivate and manure the 

 ground. It will be most convenient in a garden to set 

 them next the fence. By planting some on the south, 

 and some on the north side of a wall, you can have the 

 fruit from June to October. 



To cultivate them upon an extensive scale for the 

 purpose of making wine ; set the bushes in rows, 6 or 8 

 feet between each, and about 3 feet between each bush, 

 with intervals of proper width and at regular distances 

 for passing across the rows. It is estimated tliat an acre, 

 well cultivated, would probably yield, on an average, 

 a quantity of fruit sufficient to make 1000 gallons of 

 wine yearly. The expense of making this wiae is about 

 SO cents a gallon. 



