§4: 



crop of cabbages, beets, celery, etc., may be grown after the 

 strawberry crop is harvested, so that two crops are produced in 

 the two years. It allows also of more frequent rotation. 



The Currant. 



No fruit is more highly prized during hot weather, is more 

 healtliful or more easily grown than the currant. It is a perennial 

 fruiting shrub, and with proper care will continue producing fruit 

 for a quarter of a century or more. 



The Soil. 



While the currant can be grown upon almost any soil, it suc- 

 ceeds best in a deep, rich, moist loam. It also succeeds under 

 the shade of fruit and ornamental trees, provided an abundance 

 of manure or fertilizer is used. The value of the fruit for market 

 depends largely upon its size, and to produce large fruit a vigorous 

 growth of the bushes must be produced. 



Planting. 



Early in the fall is the best time for planting currant bushes, 

 though they succeed well if planted in the spring. No. 1 one- 

 year-old plants are the best for planting, though No. 1 two-year- 

 old plants are often used. 



The distance at which they are planted varies somewhat with 

 different growers and their mode of pruning. If the bushes are 

 kept close pruned and are on a rather light soil, four by five feet 

 is about the right distance ; but if allowed to grow rather large 

 and on rich land, four by six feet will be none too much space. 



Cultivation. 



A rich soil and clean cultivation must go together, for without 

 the one the fruit will be of small size and without the other the 

 weeds would soon choke out all growth of either the bushes or 

 fruit. 



MulcJiing. 



No fruit is more benefited by an abundance of moisture than 

 the currant, and a mulch of hay or coarse manure helps to keep 

 in the moisture and the fruit from becoming soiled during heavy 

 rain storms. 



