96 GARDENING FOR ALL. 
pounds on the ground. If we allow that a full grown bush 
will yield on an average 15 lbs. of fruit, and we have 889 trees 
to the acre at seven feet apart, we have at once a value of 
over £Io! per acre at the above price. This high average is 
seldom realised. 
Cuttings similar to those advised for red currants should 
be chosen, but it is unadvisable to remove any of the lower 
buds, because in this case, we wish to encourage the 
production of young growth from below the soil; black 
currants bearing most freely upon well-matured wood of the 
previous year’s growth. 
The secret of success 
then, in the culture of black 
currants, being the annual 
production of young wood 
and the removal of the old 
and exhausted wood, it is 
obvious that proper pruning 
will entirely consist of judic- 
iously making room for the 
young by thinning out the 
old. Leave the young shoots 
four or five inches apart ; 
and new branches from below 
the soil are to be encouraged 
so far as there is space for 
them, because they are re- 
newing the tree constantly. 
A spade ought not to 
be used among fruit trees 
in ordinary routine work, 
A branch of a Black Currant 
tree. Thecross-bars atA andBB 
indicate the parts to be removed, 
according to circumstances, some- 
times at A and B, and in other 
cases at B B. 
the requisite food. 
but the annual applications 
of manure will be more 
beneficial if left upon the 
surface of the soil, because 
the manure assists in retain- 
ing the moisture about the 
roots as well as supplying 
If the manure on the surface is offensive 
to the eye, it may be carefully pricked in with a fork without 
breaking or tearing the roots. 
