THE HOME FRUIT-GARDEN. 309 



gathered every day, for if allowed to remain long on the 

 bushes after ripening it decays quickly in moist weather. 

 The pruning, training, and care are practically the same as 

 for the blackberry, and clean cultivation or mulching 

 rather more of a necessity. 



The varieties that will probably give the best results are 

 the Cnthbert, Loudon, King and Miller. 



THE CURRANT AND GOOSEBERRY. 



There is scarcely a home garden to be found in which an 

 attempt is not made to grow the currant, but in most cases 

 the bushes are planted in some out-of-the-way place where 

 they suffer from neglect, and the fruit, while of some value 

 for making jelly, is not desirable for table use because of 

 its small size and seedy character. There is no fruit that 

 can be improved so much in size and quality by good cul- 

 tivation as the currant. 



Vigorous young plants one or two years old should be 

 planted in rich, rather moist soil in hills 4 by 6 feet apart. 

 Thorough and clean cultivation must be given and an 

 annual dressing of two or three shovelfuls of good stable 

 manure be put about the bushes in the fall or an equal value 

 of some good fruit-fertilizer be applied in the spring. 



The pruning needed consists in cutting out the old wood, 

 i.e., that more than three or four years old, in such a way 

 as to give the bushes an upright form and produce young 

 and vigorous wood, upon which only large and fine fruit 

 can be grown. During the time of ripening much fruit 

 will be saved from being spattered with soil if a mulch of 

 2 or 3 inches is put around under the bushes. 



For home use the best varieties are the Versaillaise, 

 Pomona, and White Imperial. 



