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picked than if crowded. Six by five feet is a good distance to plant. If planted closer, 

 especially in good soil, the bushes become very crowded before it is time to renew the 

 plantation. Strong one-year old plants are the best, but two-year old plants are better 

 than poorly rooted yearlings. It is better to err on the side of planting a littla 

 deeper than is necessary, than to plant too shallow. A good rule to follow is to sot 

 the plants at least an inch deeper than they were in the nursery. The soil should be 

 well tramped about the young plants to prevent danger of it drying out. After plant- 

 ing the soil should be levelled and the surface loosened to help retain moisture. 



Cultivation. 



As the currant, to do well, must have a good supply of moisture, cultivation 

 should be begim soon after planting, and the surface soil kept loose during the summef. 

 While the plants are young the cultivation may be fairly deep in the middle of the 

 rows, but when the roots begin to extend across the rows, cultivation should be quite 

 shallow, as many of the roots are quite near the surface. 



Fertilizers. 



After the first application of manure no more should be necessary until the plants 

 begin to fruit, unless other crops are grown between, when an annual top dressing of 

 well rotted barnyard manure is desirable. When only a light application of manure 

 is given, the addition of two or three hundred pounds per acre of muriate of potash 

 should be very beneficial. Wood ashes also make a good fertilizer with barnyard 

 manure. There is little danger of giving the currant plantation too much fertilizer. 

 Unfortunately it is usually the other way, this fruit being often very much neglected. 

 When in full bearing currants should be fertilized every year. 



Pruning. 



The black and red currants bear most of their fruit on wood of different ages, 

 hence the pruning of one is a little different from the other. The blaok currant bears 

 most of its fruit on wood of the previous season's growth, hence it is important to 

 always have a plentiful supply of one-year old healthy wood. The red and white 

 currants produce their fruit on spurs which develop from the wood two or more years 

 of age, hence it is important in pruning red and white currants to have a liberal 

 supply of wood two years and older, but as the fruit on the very old wood is not so 

 good as that on the younger, it is best to depend on two and three year wood to bear 

 the fruit, A little pruning may be necessary at the end of the first season after plant- 

 ing in order to begin to get the bush into shape. From six to eight main stems, or 

 even less, with their side branches will, when properly distributed, bear a good crop 

 of fruit. Future pruning should be done with the aim of having from six to eight 

 main branches each, season and a few others coming on to talie their places. By judi- 

 cious annual pruning the bush can be kept suipeiently open to admit light and sun- 

 shine. A- good rule is to not have any of the branches more than three years of age, 

 as if kept down to this limit the wood wUl be healthier, stronger growth will be made 

 and the fruit wiU be the better. 



