3 I2 



GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



GOOSEBERRY BUSH, SHOWING FIRST 

 BRANCHES 



Cross lines indicate where to cut back to at winter 

 pruning. 



possible, never hesitating to remove an old or weakly branch. In 

 thej south of England, more branches are usually allowed to form in 



the centre of the bush than is 

 the case farther north, for if 

 they were kept too thin the 

 fruits would suffer from the 

 effects of the sun, naturally 

 more powerful in the former 

 than in the latter districts. 



Espaliers. Espalier- 

 trained Gooseberries are ex- 

 cellent, and usually bear well. 

 As is the case with all fruit 

 trees thus trained, they occupy 

 little space, and are therefore 

 useful in small gardens. A 

 trellis - work to train them 

 against can easily be con- 

 structed ; a few upright 

 wooden or iron posts, placed 

 at intervals in the ground, 



and wires, twelve inches apart, fixed between them, will suffice. Cordon 



Gooseberries may either be trained with single, double, or treble stems ; 



each of the latter should 



be six inches or eight 



inches apart, so that if the 



plants have two or three 



stems, they naturally must 



be placed wider apart. The 



management of espalier 



Gooseberries is simple : 



allow the leading shoots 



to grow throughout the 



summer, and shorten them 



back slightly every winter, 



until the top of the trellis 



is reached. In the month 



of June, pinch all unduly 



vigorous side shoots back 



to six leaves, and in winter 



shorten them to within 



about half an inch of the 



older wood. 



Fan-trained Gooseberry trees are also used for planting against 

 Hers. By this method a quantity of young wood may be laid in 



every year upon which fruit is freely produced. The older shoots 



must, of course, be cut away to make room for this. In pruning fan- 

 trained trees all that is necessary is to regulate the branches every 



autumn to several inches apart, retaining the young shoots in prefer- 



GOOSEBERRY BUSH, SHOWING SIX BRANCHES 

 AT END OF SECOND YEAR'S GROWTH 



