416 



CURRANT 



the home gro%ver may attain the same end by utilizing 

 the north side of buildings or fences. Elevation may 

 aid in offsetting the unfavorable influence of lower lati- 

 tude. It is an extremely hardy fruit so far as cold is 

 concerned, but cannot endure continuous high tempera- 



bundance of 

 )Ut responds 

 e, applied in 

 mented with 

 : the quality 



plant-fo.M, ^1. V ' I - — ' ' 



the fall. l-<.-Nr. h, I,., :,,,,, 11,,- I,,,,'., h, 



applications ui poiasli, wiiu-h will 

 of the fruit. 



Propagation is best effected by means of long hard- 

 wood cuttings ( Fig. 614 1 , taken either in fall or spring. 

 In nursery practice they are commonly taken about Sep- 

 tember 1, as soon as the leaves fall. The leaves are 

 sometimes stripped from the plants a week or so before 

 taking the cuttings, if they have not already fallen. The 

 cuttings may be planted' at once, or tied in bundles 

 and buried upside down, with 2 or 3 inches of soil 

 o\er the butts This is thought to favoi the production 

 of the callus and to aid the formation of roots. At the 

 approach of cold weathei tin \ nj i\ bt taken up and 

 planted in nurserj row s 1 t x ith a mulch of 



soil or other material dni I il )s mulch being 



raked awav to expose t! l i ing. Planting 



may be delajed until ^i lis being taken 



up and stored in sand oi 11 u il 1 i orbeingmore 



deepH covered and allowed to riiuiiu -nhere they are. 

 The commoner practice is to plant the cuttings in nur- 

 serv rows soon after thev are taken They are said to 

 root more quickh if ini ked m damp moss a week or two 

 befort pi iiitiii^' Mill inn., . t s nie sort is essential dur- 

 ing till wiiit I 1 I I I h 1 thing surpasses the soil 

 itself t t tl 1 i 111] It 111 l\ not in the drier climate 



of the Plan-- It tl iittiii.,-^ are kept until spring, 



planting 

 low temt 



the climate and the lighter the soil the longer should 

 the cutting be. In planting, only 1 or 2 buds are 

 left above the surface, and the soil should be pressed 



: must be done vt 

 low temperature. This ii 

 able in nursery practice. 

 6 to 10 inches, according 



613. Buffalo Currant 



firmly about the base. Rich, moist soil should be se- 

 lected. A former practice was to cut out all lower buds 

 in order to insure a tree form of growth. This is 

 seldom practiced now, and never for commercial plant- 

 ing. Single-eye cuttings under glass, greenwood cut- 

 tings and layers may be employed, but have little to 

 rpi-iiniiiiitid Thrm. Seeds may be used as a source of 

 Tu-w \ iiri.ti, s. ami are best sown or stratified as soon as 



l',>r 111- liiiiil I'lanting cither 1- or 2-year-old plants 

 mav II. 11-., I. -.1 at distances varying to suit the con- 

 veniiii f till- cultivator. Four by 6 feet is a con- 

 venient c.iiiliiiKitiiin, allowing cross cultivation at inter- 

 vals. The land should be in fine, mellow tilth as deep 

 as plowed, and if the underlying layers are hard and 

 impervious, it should be subsoiled. Setting is most con- 

 veniently done by marking the land in each direction, 

 plowing furrows one way and planting at intersections. 

 The soil should be closelv firmed about the roots, with a 

 loose layer Ifft at tlip siii^farc to act as a mulch. Where 

 fall planting- -n,,-. . .N it j- desirable, since the Currant 

 starts so cai l\ ini.. l'i-..h ill ill the spring. In many parts 

 of the count r> Tail pi am mi; is too uncertain, while spring 

 planting, if ..l..ii.- .ally riiuugh, is always safe. 



Subsequent tillage should be frequent but shallow, as 

 the roots run near the surface and are easily injured by 

 deep cultivation. Good results are obtained by mulch- 

 ing, which is sometimes more convenient in garden cul- 

 ture. Refuse material of any sort may be used ; even 

 coal ashes, especially on heavy soil, give good results. 

 Mulching is seldom, if ever, desirable in commercial 

 work. 



Pruning is simple, but important. Fruit is borne on 

 both old and young wood, but the best of it is near the 

 base of 1-ye'ar-old shoots and on short 1-year-old 

 spurs. The younger the wood the finer the fruit, but a 

 fair supply of old wood must be left to insure produc- 

 tiveness. From 4 to 8 main stems*are desirable, and 

 these should be frequently renewed. No wood over three 

 years old should be allowed to remain. Superfluous 

 young shoots should be cut away, though the buds at 

 their base may be left to develop fruit -bearing spurs. 

 Shortening-in vigorous, straggling shoots maybe called 

 for, especially with young plants, but the most important 

 thing is a judicious thinning out of the old wood, and 



