No. 4.] CURRANTS. 191 



and then setting the plants at the intersection of furrow and 

 mark. In all but very cold climates the planting can best 

 be done in the fall, and if severity of climate makes it neces- 

 sary to set in the spring the work should be done as early as 

 possible. There are no difficulties about transplanting, but 

 the usual precautions of trimming roots and tops and of 

 firming the earth should be observed. 



Cultural Treatment. 



The currant fruits early and the plant makes its growth 

 early; therefore, it is urgent that the cultivation be early, 

 thorough and frequent to conserve moisture and set free 

 plant food. All of the varieties of the currant are shallow 

 rooted, and the cultivation must of necessity be shallow to 

 prevent injury to the roots and for that reason plowing is 

 impossible. In growing the currant for home use it is often 

 convenient to mulch with straw or coarse stable manure in 

 place of cultivating. In commercial plantations such mulch- 

 ing can seldom be made to give as good results as careful 

 cultivation. In midsummer cultivation should cease and a 

 cover crop be planted. Probably the best cover crop is 

 one of clover or vetch in combination with oats or barley, 

 to be sown in late July or early August; 12 or 15 pounds of 

 clover seed to the acre and 20 or 25 pounds of vetch, sown 

 with a half bushel of oats or barley, give proper proportions 

 of seed. 



Pruning. 



Left to themselves currant plants rapidly become thickets, 

 to prevent which there must be yearly pruning, which 

 consists for the most part in removing old canes and thinning 

 out new ones. In the pruning encourage an upright growth 

 or the bush form with several stems rather than a straggly 

 habit with but few stems. From four to eight stems are 

 desirable, depending upon soil and variety. Aim to keep a 

 continuous supply of vigorous shoots coming on. In well- 

 pruned plantations no wood over three years old should be 

 found. In pruning keep in mind that the best fruit is borne 

 at the base of the one-year-old shoots, and on one-year-old 

 spurs on two and three-year-old wood. Vigorous shoots 



