BUSH FRUIT PRUNING 



295 



the thinning of the fruits are two of the ways which aid 

 in developing the plum-like gooseberries of which the 

 American markets know nothing. So far as thinning in 

 American plantations is concerned, it is all done by re- 

 moving more or less wood at pruning time. It is im- 

 portant and it pays, but it is not productive of such spec- 

 tacular fruits as the British methods yield. 



Some of the gooseberry "trees" of England are remark- 

 able for their size, age and productivity. One reported 



FIG. 252— GOOSEBERRY BEFORE PRUNING. PLANTED THREE YEARS 



to the London Horticultural Society* measured 36 feet 

 in circumference and when 46 years old had a 30-year 

 record of several pecks of fruit each year. It is doubtful 

 if such results could be even approached in many parts of 

 America, because the climate is not humid enough and 

 our people are too busy to take the trouble to do the nec- 

 essarjr pruning and training. 



* Transactions Vol. 5, Page 490. 



