CHAPTER V 



RED AND WHITE CURRANTS 

 By GEORGE BUNYARD 



In order to avoid deep digging about these after they are planted and consequent 

 disturbance of the roots, the ground they are to occupy should be heavily 

 manured before the bushes are planted, and the earlier this is done the better 

 will be the result the first season. They are usually prepared by nurserymen 

 on a ^hort stem, which prevents the fruit being splashed by soil ; newly planted 

 bushes should be cut back to four buds at the base of the new wood, the top 

 one always pointing outwards. The new growths which will eventually 

 develop should be selected to form a cup-shaped base, using a stake if necessary 

 to train the shoots in the desired form. Any inner shoots not wanted for 

 forming the basin-shaped foundation can be cut away or shortened to three 

 buds. This will strengthen the remaining ones and produce vigorous shoots, 

 which must be again shortened to 6 inches at the end of the season. During 

 the second year the side shoots should be shortened in July to three buds or 

 " eyes," the centres of the bushes being kept open to admit light and air to ripen 

 the wood. When the required shape and size of bush are obtained, the leading 

 shoots may be annually cut back to i inch in length, and any slender twiggy 

 shoots can be removed as soon as the fruit is gathered, although the branches 

 should not be stripped of foliage. 



Culture. — Currants flourish in all soils when freely fed with manure. 

 This should be lightly turned in about Christmas time, and when frost has 

 made the surface friable the soil may be levelled down with a coarse rake. 

 Currants will succeed well in a light soil, and may be grown as basin-shaped 

 bushes, trained on walls and trellises, or as cordons. In dry seasons copious 

 waterings with liquid manure will favour the production of large berries, and 

 where the soil is very dry a mulching of long strawy litter put on in April 

 will keep it cool and lengthen the season of production. Watering upon this 

 will keep the trees healthy and render them less liable to the attacks of red 

 spider. 



Pruning. — In the case of cordon, fan or fancy-trained currant trees, the 

 pruning is usually done in August ; the leading shoot is left entire, and the side 

 or lateral shoots are pinched back to three buds. In this way the branches 

 become masses of fruiting spurs, and will require much thinning as the berries 

 develop. Standard trees are best grafted on stocks of Ribes aureum. The 



branches will require some support as they gain size and are heavily fruited, 



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