XIII 



THE CURRANT AND GOOSEBERRY 



THE CURRANT 



(Ribes rubrum) 



This is one of the most healthful fruits, is easily 

 grown, and should be found in every garden. It is 

 grown to a considerable extent for market, and where 

 the soil is suited to its growth it is found profitable. 

 It succeeds best in a deep, moist loam, but if too wet 

 the plants are heaved out in the fall and spring by 

 frost. To prevent this heaving out the land may be 

 heavily mulched in the fall with coarse stable manure 

 or straw, but this must be removed in the spring before 

 the roots have made much growth, or it will cause 

 the roots to grow so near the surface as to be injured 

 by the cultivator, and the second winter the bushes will 

 be likely to be tipped over by high winds. Shallow level 

 cultivation will give the best results. The land must 

 be kept rich with a heavy dressing of stable manure 

 or fertilizer each year, using enough to produce a few 

 strong new canes each season, for there is no fruit 

 that runs small so quickly on old wood as the currant. 



Planting The distance most generally planted is 

 4x6 feet, and they may be planted either in the fall or 

 the spring, as is most convenient. Some grower? set 

 the plants nearer than four feet in the row, and prune 

 the bushes to three or four strong canes. The best 

 plants are strong one-year cuttings, though many 



