HARVESTING 



33 1 



ones. After this time, pruning should consist in cutting 

 away a few of the oldest canes at the base each year, leav- 

 ing a few of the vigorous young shoots from the roots to 



Fig. 176. A well-kept gooseberry patch. 



take their places. The largest bunches of currants are 

 grown at the base of one-year-old lateral shoots or on 

 one-year-old spurs. Therefore, to get the highest quality 

 of fruit, it is necessary to keep up a continuous supply of 

 these vigorous shoots. The common mistake in pruning 

 currants and gooseberries is to let the bushes remain too 

 thick. 



Fertilizers. Well-decomposed stable manure is the most 

 popular fertilizer for these fruits. This may be spread 

 around the bushes in the fall and worked into the soil in 

 the spring. Unleached hardwood ashes are valuable, 

 especially upon the stronger soils on which heavy applica- 

 tions of manure would tend to produce too much wood. 



Harvesting. Gooseberries and currants have a long 

 harvesting season. The fruit may remain on the bushes 



