198 BUSH FRUITS 



of September and in October. A convenient number should 

 be tied in a bunch and placed in damp sand in a cool cellar 

 to callous over. The cuttings can be stored in the open 

 ground if the ground in which they are stored does not freeze. 

 The cuttings are not always taken in the fall. Occasionally 

 they are cut in the spring and planted at once in the nursery 

 row, but this practice usually does not produce as good 

 plants as the stored and calloused cuttings do. 



The gooseberry is not propagated as easily from hard- 

 wood cuttings as the currant. The varieties, however, 

 which have small, slender wood can scarcely be propagated 

 by stem cuttings. For this reason the gooseberry is usually 

 propagated by layering. Layering is ■ normally performed 

 during the month of June. If the branches are covered with 

 soil at this time, usually each twig will be found to be rooted 

 by autumn. The rooted twigs should be taken up early in 

 the spring, cut apart and planted out in the nursery row. 

 After they are set in the nursery they are handled in the 

 same manner as the hard-wood cuttings. 



For the home garden where several additional plants are 

 wanted, the parent plant can oftentimes be taken up in the 

 fall and separated into two or more parts and each piece 

 set in a new location. 



Soil. — The currant and the gooseberry will grow in almost 

 any soil. The soil should have a good depth and be supplied 

 with plant food. A well-drained, sandy loam with plenty 

 of humus will give excellent results. A clay loam that is 

 properly handled will also grow good currants and excellent 

 gooseberries. The bush fruits do their best on high lands 

 and are almost worthless on low land. A northern slope is 

 preferred because it is cool and the bush fruits thrive under 

 cool conditions. The currants and the gooseberries do 

 well when they are planted on the north side of a building 

 or between the rows in an orchard, because they are par- 

 tially shaded. In the crowded city and in the suburban 

 garden these fruits usually do better than almost any other 

 fruit, especially if the bushes are properly pruned and well 

 thinned out. The gooseberries do the best on a fairly 

 stiff clay while the currants seem to prefer the lighter soil 



