266 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



The pruning of the currant is very important, and should be carefully 

 attended to every year, both for the purpose of producing a constant supply of 

 young growth, and also in order to remove all stalks which are affected by the 

 borer ; these latter should be carefully removed and burned, for this is the only 

 way of routing this insidious foe. The Garden (English) gives the following 

 directions for pruning the currant, which are very sensible : " The requirements 

 of the Red currant are very different from those of the Black, as the latter bears 

 best on the young wood, while the Red answers best if the young wood is cut 

 off almosf close to the main stem at pruning time in the autumn, leaving an 

 inch in length, unless it is desirable to extend the number of branches, or the 

 size of the tree. Young trees should be encouraged to form six or seven main 

 branches, keeping the centre of the bush open all the time, like a basin, until 

 the trees reach their full height, about four feet. The leading shoots should 

 have only about one-third of their length cut off, and when the tree gets to its 

 full height, they may be cut at the points as in the other parts, thus keeping the 

 old main stems, which by this time will be full of buds their whole length, and 

 bear very freely ; it is well to encourage a young branch to grow up if any of the 

 others show signs of weakness from old age, and thus gradually replace them. 

 Summer pruning is also very beneficial to Red currants, cutting all young wood 

 back to about three inches, as soon as the fruit is gathered, if it is not required 

 for extending the tree, and reducing the pieces left to one inch in length, at the 

 winter pruning." We do not follow this method precisely at Maplehurst, 

 because the stems which are allowed to grow at too great a length, are almost 

 certain to be attacked by the borer. Its ravages are best avoided by the con- 

 stant renewal of the stems from the ground. 



We have about three acres of currants, and count them one of our staple 

 crops, because they go into the market when there is very little other fruit in 

 competition, just after cherries and just before raspberries. The usual price is 

 from three to four cents per pound, and, as they stand shipping well, are easily 

 gathered, and easily marketed, this price pays the grower fairly well. 



Spinach. — Very few amateurs know how to raise a first-class grade of 

 spinach, and yet nothing is easier. It should be sown about the time or a little 

 before forest leaves color in fall. It grows then very rapidly under the temperate 

 autumn weather. In the winter it requires a very light covering of straw, so 

 light indeed that we can see the green leaves fairly well through the covering. 

 The plant itself is hardy, no frost injures it. The use of the straw is chiefly to 

 keep the frost from pulling it out of the ground and to keep the leaves from dis- 

 coloring. No soil can well be too rich for this plant, the richer the soil the 

 larger and more tender the leaves. — Meehait's Monthly. 



