OF GOOSEBERRIES. 211 



Never plant them under the shade of other 

 trees, as it will injure the flavour of the fruit. 



Of Pruning Gooseberry-bushes. 



It is a practice too common in pruning Goose- 

 berries, to let them branch out with great naked 

 stems, suffering them to remain in that state for 

 years. When that is the case, they should be cut 

 down near to the ground in the Winter pruning ; 

 this will make them throw out fine strong healthy 

 shoots, which will bear fruit the second year. 

 Gooseberry-bushes, in general, bear their fruit on 

 the second year's wood. Care should be taken in 

 Summer to keep the middle of the bush clear, to 

 admit a free air into them ; leaving the finest and 

 strongest shoots from six to ten inches distant from 

 each other. This will help to ripen and harden 

 the wood. It is a practice with some to shorten 

 the shoots in the Autumn or Winter pruning ; this 

 should be always near to a wood-bud ; which may 

 be known by its being single, whereas fruit-buds 

 are in clusters. The shoots may be shortened to 

 eight or ten inches, according to their strength. 

 Some leave them at full length for three or four 

 years, thinning out those that are superfluous. 

 Always leave a proper number to be trained up 

 between the full length shoots, to succeed them 

 when they are tired of bearing ; then cut the old 

 ones down to the young ones that are to succeed 

 them. By these means you will always keep the 

 bushes in a constant state of bearing. 



p 2 



