ABOUT FRUITS, FLOWERS AND FARMING. 289 



feet and even more allowed. If twelve or fifteen inches be 

 allowed, the stem, in a few years, will become strong 

 enough to withstand winds and sustain its own top. Thus 

 formed they are beautiful to the eye, convenient for borders, 

 allow a free circulation of ah* under and through them, are 

 easy to work in spring or for manuring, and easy to prune, 

 when, as should be done every year, you take out the old 

 wood. 



Gooseberries will do better to be trained in this way, 

 than in the bush form. The top once formed, there is no 

 difficulty in keeping it so. If you are faithful to grub up 

 every sucker for one season you will have few to plague 

 you after that. 



Gooseberries, Raspberries, Strawberries and Currants 

 ought to be found in every farmer's garden. The trouble 

 of cultivation is slight and the return of wholesome fruit 

 very great. One woman can, for the most part, bestow all 

 the attention which they need. 



SPRING-WORK IN THE ORCHARD. 



1. THERE is a great deal more pruning done than is need- 

 ful or healthful. Our hot summers and strong growth of 

 wood make every leaf on the tree precious. Dead limbs 

 should be taken out. Where the tree is really tangled with 

 wood, thin out. Where branches are rubbing across each 

 other severely, take off one of them. Grub up every water- 

 sprout from the roots. If you can avoid it, do not use them 

 for trees, for the tree thus obtained will inherit the same 

 propensity of sending up \\atrr-shoots. Sometimes, in 

 scarcity of stock, they are used rather than to have none, 

 but it is then only a lesser of two evils. 



2. TIME OF PRUNING. There is a bad practice abroad of 

 pruning before the leaves are out. English books direct to 



13 



