36 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1894. 



the rows ; the after treatment may be the same as the raspberry. 

 Varieties : Agawam, Snyder, Taylor. 



The Currant is well worthy the attention of the small fruit grower, 

 the bush is pei'fectly hardy and productive, the fruit is applied to so 

 many uses it is always in demand. There is no fruit-bearing plant, 

 tree, or shrub that responds more quickly to good cultivation than 

 the currant ; like the strawberry it adapts itself to a great variety of 

 soils, but it succeeds best in a strong, deep, rich loam. Plant strong 

 two-year old plants, five feet apart each way — good crops of currants 

 can be grown in the partial shade of the orchard — the plants should 

 be well cut back when planted, prune annually, keep the head open 

 to admit air and sunlight. Unlike the strawberry, raspberry, and the 

 blackberry the currant can remain on the bushes sometime after it 

 is ripe, and by a proper selection of varieties may be kept well into 

 the Fall. Varieties : Cherry, Fay, Victoria, and White Grape. 

 Moore's Euby for trial. 



The Black Currant is not grown to any extent in this country. 

 None of our small fruits yields so rich a jelly or has such medicinal 

 properties as the black currant. Being a native of Russia and 

 Siberia, it is among the hardiest of our fruit-bearing plants ; it is pro- 

 ductive, bears heavier crops than any of the other varieties. The 

 planting and after treatment may be the same as the red and white 

 sorts. Varieties : Black Naples and Lee's Prolific. 



The Gooseberry is the finest green fruit that appears in our market, 

 of home growth, and is much sought after for cooking purposes ; it is 

 of easy culture, hardy, and productive. The gooseberry requires 

 cool, rich, moist soil, the planting and after treatment may be the 

 same as for the currant. I prefer the fall for planting all the bush 

 fruits, give a mulch of well rotted manure for the Winter, and they 

 will start with vigor in the spring. They are all benefited \Qxy much 

 by a mulch in the Summer; especially the currant and gooseberry 

 should be mulched heavy to keep the roots cool and moist. Varie- 

 ties : Downing and Houghton. 



The critical time in the culture of small fruits, especially the straw- 

 berry, is when the fruit is swelling and approaching maturity. In 

 the absence of artificial irrigation I have found deep ploughing and 

 heavy manuring the best protection against drought. It should be 

 the ambition of every fruit-grower to produce the best, and only the 

 best that can be grown. Gather your crop carefully, grade and pack 

 honestly in clean, neat packages, put your crop on the market in the 

 most attractive form, and success will be yours. 



