342 BUSH-FRUITS 



They may be taken up and planted later, removed to 

 a cellar and buried in sand during the winter, or be 

 given an additional covering and be left where they 

 are until spring. If planting is deferred until spring, 

 it must be done very early, as they begin growth at 

 a low temperature, and must receive attention at the 

 earliest possible moment. The commoner practice is 

 to plant in nursery rows soon after the cuttings are 

 taken. They are said to root more quickly if packed 

 in damp moss a week or two before planting. The 

 cuttings are ordinarily made from six to eight inches 

 long, though the older writings recommended them to 

 be a foot long. The base should be formed with a 

 aleaa, square cut just beneath a bud. The top is 

 commonly a slanting cut some distance above the 

 uppermost bud. Planting may be done by means of 

 a spade, but is more conveniently and rapidly done 

 by plowing furrows and setting the cuttings against 

 the land -side of the furrow. One or two buds only 

 are left above the surface of the ground, and the 

 earth should be firmly packed about the base of the 

 cuttings. If set early in September, many of the 

 plants will form roots and establish themselves before 

 winter, being in condition to begin growth immediately 

 in spring. As freezing weather approaches, a shovel 

 plow is sometimes run through the rows, in order 

 to throw the earth toward but not over the cuttings. 

 This leaves a depression along the rows, and the 

 plants are then easily protected by covering with 

 straw or coarse manure. Mulching in some form is 

 essential during the winter, if currant cuttings are 



