No. 4.] SMALL FRUITS. 231 



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 difterent 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. 



Mulching. 



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. 



Pruning. 

 The currant produces its best fruit on strong, vigorous 

 shoots, two or three years old, while that on the older wood 

 is small and of inferior quality. It is therefore the practice 

 in pruning to cut out all very old canes and encourage the 

 growth of strong new shoots. This may be done at any 

 time after the leaves have fallen, and before much growth in 

 the spring, but the fall is the best time for this work. 



Varieties. 

 There are many good varieties in cultivation, but they do 

 not show so much variation as to form, size and color as the 

 other kinds of fruit. Any of the leading sorts may be made 

 to produce large fruit if grown in a rich soil and properly 

 pruned. In fact, it is asserted by many that the only differ- 

 ence between many of the varieties is produced by cultivation 



