344 BUSH-FRUITS 



but it is better to sow or mix them with sand at once, 

 and not allow them to dry. If mixed with sand, they 

 should be buried or kept in a cool, shady place, and sown 

 very early in spring. They may be sown, not over half 

 an inch deep, in flats or in the open ground, in fine, rich 

 and mellow soil. Partial shade and a light mulch of 

 fine manure will aid in retaining moisture and prevent 

 the ground from baking. The seeds germinate at a 

 low temperature, and are likely to start too early unless 

 kept in a shaded place. If sown at once in flats, the 

 flats can be kept in a cool, shaded place during the 

 winter, and given partial exposure in spring. Plung- 

 ing them in the soil will aid in preserving uniform 

 conditions of moisture, and covering with a wire 

 screen will insure safety from destruction by mice or 

 other animals. If a greenhouse is available they may 

 be brought inside toward spring, where the seeds will 

 germinate quickly. The young plants may be potted 

 off when two or three inches high, and planted out 

 when well established. 



PLANTING 



The first essential in planting fruit is a thorough 

 preparation of the soil. For currants, the land 

 should receive a heavy dressing of well -rotted stable 

 manure, be plowed deep, and, if the underlying layers 

 are hard and impervious to roots and moisture, sub- 

 soiled. One may choose almost any distance apart 

 to set the plants, and find it recommended some- 

 where in horticultural literature. The distances ad- 



