Pj'uning the Gooseberry. 117 



inches is considered sufficiently long. If the cuttings are too 

 short to admit of this, then the lateral young shoots must be 

 trimmed off closely, when the plants are removed. But 

 whatever length of cutting is used, all the buds ought inva- 

 riably to be removed from the portion intended to be inserted 

 in the soil ; for, if not removed, they will most probably 

 make their unwelcome appearance some day in the form of 

 suckers. Some also dress off the prickles ; but this is of less 

 consequence, for being only dead substance, they rot off in 

 the ground. 



After the plants have formed shoots, these must be short- 

 ened according to their strength ; if moderately strong, to 

 about six inches. In shortening, care must be taken to cut 

 to a bud pointing the most towards the direction which the 

 branch should follow, in order to complete the form in which 

 the plants are intended to be kept. The general mode is to 

 keep the bush hollow in the middle, and six, eight, or ten 

 branches, at equal distances, or as nearly so as possible. If 

 two branches are likely to approach too near each other, one 

 or both must be cut to buds pointing in the opposite direc- 

 tion ; thus, in the accompanying figure, supposing the 

 branch were intended to be prolonged more towards the left, 

 then the young shoot is properly cut, as represented, for the 

 uppermost bud a to proceed in that direction. On the con- 

 trary, if the uppermost bud a had been on the inside of a 

 shoot, of which it would have been desirable that the direc- 

 tion should be outwards, towards the right, then it would 

 have been entirely wrong to cut at that bud. 



Observing thus to cut at proper buds, each leading branch 

 may be made to diverge outwards, or to either side, to an ex- 

 tent sufficient for ordinary cultivation. The pruning of one 

 of the leading branches may now be detailed from its com- 

 mencement. In autumn, or early part of winter, the shoot 

 ought to be shortened to some extent, bearing in mind that 

 generally the three buds immediately below the section will 

 break into shoots ; therefore, it will be advisable to cut 

 where another leader is required to originate. Thi^ is the 

 first winter pruning. The second will consist in shortening 



