98 FRUIT AND ITS CULTIVATION. 



Planting. The trees can be procured from the nursery 

 as maidens one year old or as fruiting specimens, two 

 to three years old. The best time to plant is in October 

 or November; but, weather permitting, it may be done 

 up to March. See that the roots are moist, and all 

 bruised portions cut off before planting. Plant the roots 

 about 4-in. deep, and tread the soil firmly. After planting 

 mulch with decayed manure. 



Mode of Bearing. Gooseberries, like Red Currants, 

 bear their fruit on shoots and spurs of the previous year's 

 growth, also on older spurs on the main shoots. The 

 finest fruits are always borne on the young or previous 

 year's wood. 



Summer Pruning. This consists of shortening all young 

 lateral or side growths to about five leaves from their 

 base in the middle of June. In the case of young trees, 

 the leading shoots i.e., those growing at the ends of 

 the branches should be permitted to grow their full 

 length. In the matter of older or fully-grown trees, 

 shorten the leaders to six leaves. These remarks apply 

 to bush and standard trees. Cordons require all young 

 side shoots to be shortened to four leaves, and the leading 

 shoot allowed to grow its full length. Fan-trained trees 

 need to be pruned in the same way, each branch being 

 treated like a cordon. The object of summer pruning 

 is the removal of superfluous growth, and the concen- 

 tration of the energies of the tree upon the production 

 of fruit buds. The removal, therefore, of a portion of 

 the foliage permits sun and air to have access to the inner 

 part of the tree, and consequently facilitates the ripening 

 of both wood and fruit. 



Winter Pruning. Trees that have been properly sum- 

 mer pruned will not require any excessive amount of 

 winter pruning. The best time to prune is in November 

 or December, but in districts thickly infested with bull- 

 finches and other birds it is wise to defer the operation 



