GOOSEBERRIES. 189 



Currant, thus managed, will sometimes produce bunches 

 containing from twenty-five to thirty berries each. 



Currants trained against walls are of the most easy 

 management : when planted to fill up intermediate 

 spaces between young trees, till the latter have made a 

 more advanced progress, they should be trained per- 

 pendicularly, preparing as many shoots at the beginning 

 as may be required for the space to be occupied. These 

 should be allowed a space of six inches between one shoot 

 and another, training each at full length, till they have 

 reached the top of the wall ; shortening such others as 

 may be produced to half an inch, which will form fruit 

 spurs round the base of each. When a plant has been 

 completed in this way, it may be kept in full bearing for 

 several years, from its spurs alone, the best of which, it 

 must be remembered, furnish the finest fruit. 



Where a large space of wall is allotted for Currants, 

 I should recommend this mode of training in preference 

 to any other ; planting them at three, or not more than 

 four feet apart. The plants can always be replenished 

 with young wood when it is wanted, by cutting down 

 within a few inches of the ground every alternate limb ; 

 and when these have again reached the top of the wall, 

 or before, if necessary, the others may be cut down in 

 like manner : thus keeping up a succession of good, 

 healthy, fruit-bearing branches for years, and preserving 

 an uniformity of appearance, without at any time exhi- 

 biting a blank space on any part of the wall. 



