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5(i BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



be any parts of the bush which have begun to weaken with 

 age. As with the brambles, this spring pruning is tlie fruit- 

 thinning process, and tlie amount of wood left should deter- 

 mine the probable amount of fruit which the plant is to bear. 

 For exhibition purposes it may be })racticable to thin in- 

 dividual fruits or clusters, l)ut under general conditions 

 thinning is done wholly by the pruning. 



Harvesting and Marketing . 



In harvesting currants for market purposes a })articularly 

 close watch nmst be ke[)t of the })ickers. The stem of each 

 cluster should be grasped above the fruit, and removed from 

 the bush without crushing or loosening any of the berries. 

 Only careful pickers will do this. It is so nuich easier to 

 grasp the cluster of fruit as a whole and yjull it aivay than it 

 is to take hold of the stem alone with the thumb and linger. 

 For this reason a variety which attbrds more space between 

 the l)ranch and the hrst berries of a cluster possesses an 

 advantage. Fay is a good variety in this respect. While 

 currants will stand shipment well if sound, they will (piickly 

 spoil when torn from the stem and the skin broken. 



Gooseberries are among the best of all our fruits to ship, 

 since they are nearly always marketed green. They can be 

 handled like so many beans, and will always stand up well 

 under ordinary shipping conditions. They are, however, 

 difficult to pick, since the plants of all our good varieties 

 are thorny. These thorns are stiff and strong, and particu- 

 larly troublesome to the pickers. One method of })icking 

 sometimes practised, which obviates the diffi'culty in part, is 

 to wear gloves, and stri}) the fruit from the bushes into trays 

 or dishes. They are then run through a fanning mill to 

 blow out leaves and other light refuse. If picked while 

 still perfectly green and firm, this method is entirely feas- 

 ible. 



The five or ten pound grape basket makes a very conven- 

 ient and satisfactory })ackage for marketing these fruits, par- 

 ticularly gooseberries, though they are often marketed in 

 the ordinary quart basket. 



