RIBES, 



be laid on the ground ; then dig it, and plant early potatoes, 

 but not fo near as to hurt the goofeberries by their growth. 

 He likewife advifes that the roots of goofeberries (hould be 

 kept clear to admit the fun and air. In fmall gardens, he 

 would recommend planting them in a quarter by themfelves, 

 at the diltance of fix feet between the rows, and four feet 

 from plant to plant : they may be planted round the edges 

 of the quarters, about three feet from the path ; in which 

 cafe, the ground will be clear for cropping, and a man, by 

 letting one foot on the border, can gather the goofeberries, 

 without injuring the crop, that may be oil the border. Alio 

 that, as they like a rich foil, they mould be dunged every 

 year, or at leall have a good coat of dung once in two years. 

 They (hould never be planted under the made of other trees, 

 as it injures the flavour of the fruit. 



And in refpect to the pruning of the buflies, it is a prac- 

 tice too common, Mr. Forfyth thinks, to let them branch 

 out with great naked Hems, differing them to remain in that 

 Hate for years. When that is the cafe, they mould be cut 

 down near to the ground in the winter pruning, as it will 

 make them throw out line Itrong healthy (hoots, which will 

 bejr fruit the fecond year ; and as goofeberry bullies, in 

 general, bear their fruit on the lecond year's wood, great 

 care (hould be taken in fummer to keep the middle of the 

 bufli clear, to admit a free air, leaving the lined and 

 (trongeil (hoots from fix to ten inches diitant from each 

 Other. This will, he conceives, help to ripen and harden 

 the wood. It is a practice with fome to (liorten the (hoots 

 in the autumn or winter pruning, which (hould be always 

 near to a wood-bud ; which amy be known by its being 

 fmgle, whereas fruit -buds are in. clutters. The (hoots may, 

 he thinks, be (hortcned to eight or ten inches, according to 

 their ftrength. Some leave them at full length lor three or 

 four years, thinning out thofe that are fuperfluous. He 

 advifes always to leave a proper number to be trained up 

 between the full length (hoots, to lucceed them when they 

 ■retired of bearing; and then to cut the old ones down to 

 the young ones that are to fucceed them. By thefe means, 

 the buflies may always be kept in a coullant Hate of bearing. 

 Thofe branches which were cut the firlt year will, in the 

 fecond, throw out fhort dugs, or fpurs, which produce the 

 fruit ; and thefe (hould by no means be cut off, unlefs the 

 branches are in a iiekly (t ate, and require to be cut dole 

 down, when the buflies are overloaded with fruit. It will 

 then, in his opinion, be neccilary to cut out a good deal of 

 the old wood, to aflilt nature to recover hcrfclf, after pro- 

 ducing fo great a quantity of fruit. 



He likewife advifes that great attention be paid to the 

 ivationoi the early and late lorts. In fome old gardens, 

 irticular, there arc, heobferves, very valuable forts that 

 have been of late too much n lit. d | he would thcr I 

 recommend to thofe who live in the neighbourhood ol fuch 

 garden.., to obfcrve their time of ripening, and to cultivate 

 thofe especially which are early and late. And he adds, 

 that it is a practice with fome to clip the tops of goofeber- 

 ries with a pair of garden lh< ars, as they would clip a thorn 

 hedge; this he b) no means approves of, v.- the fruit will not 

 half the (izc, nor ol lo line a flavour, as when the bufhe 

 pt clear of fuch wood as is unneccdary. 



Farther it is recommended thai K ,v:it care Ihould be taken 

 In fpring and fummer to Hock, or grub up, all the dickers 

 from 'lie roots of the bulhe: , leaving tfi Items clear and 

 unencumbered. And as many of tin- !.,m, aliniv lorts are apt 

 to grow horizontally! and the branche frequently trail on the 



ground, which renders them liable to be broken by bi)rh 

 winds, efpecially when they ire loaded with fruit, he would 

 recommend two or three hoops to be put round them, to 



which the branches may be tied, to fupport them, and 

 prevent their being broken by the wind, or any other 

 mean .. 



In cafes where it is wilhed to have them late, they (hould 

 be planted on north walls and palings, between the i I 

 trees, when they may be removed as the trees begin to meet. 

 Tt laid in thin, they will bear very line and handfome fruit. 

 lie would advife to plant the finefl late fort ; as by this 

 method the table will be fupplied much longer than by the 

 common cultomof planting in quarters of the garden. 



Alfo immediately after pruning, he always applies the 

 platter compofition to the ends of the (hoots and cuttings ; 

 and he finds it of great ufe in preventing the exhalation of 

 the lap, and preferving the cuttings till they take root, and 

 become eftabliflied. 



It may be obferved that thefe forts of plants are very 

 much infeited with a fmall green caterpillar, which frequently 

 devour both leaves and fruit : great attention is of courle 

 neceflary to obfcrve their firft appearance on the bufhes ; as, 

 if not deltroyed early, they incrcafe fo fait, that they foon 

 devour all the leaves, and the fruit is good for nothing. It is 

 noticed, that they firlt appear generally on the edges and 

 under-lides of the leaves. In order to dellroy them, lie 

 advifes to take fome lifted quick-lime and lay it under the 

 bufhes ; but not at firft to let any of it Umch the branches 

 or leaves ; then (hake each bulh fuddenly and fmartly, 

 and the caterpillars will fall into the lime ; if the buffi be 

 not (haken fuddenly, the caterpillars, on being a little dif- 

 turbed, will take fo firm a hold as not eafily to be (haken oft. 

 After this is done, lome of the lime (hould be fitted over 

 the bullies ; this will drive down thofe which have lodged 

 on the branches. The caterpillars ought, in his opinion, 

 to be fwept up next day, and the bufhes well wafhed with 

 dear lime-water mixed with urine ; this will dellroy any 

 caterpillars that may Hill remain, and alfo the aphides, if 

 there are any on the bullies at the time. 



Forcing It may be (tated, that fometimes trees of the 



•berry and currant kinds are forced for early fruiting, 

 by means of artificial heat in fruit-forcing-houfes, hot-walls, 

 or forcing-frames, &c. For this purpole, fome young trees 

 (hould be planted in largilh pots, one plant in each, and 

 being advanced to a full (late of growth for plentiful bear- 

 ing, ihould be introduced in any ot the above forcing de- 

 partments that are in work by fire, or hot -bed heat, or both, 

 in forwarding any principal lorts of fruit-trees, plants, or 

 flowers, at the proper feaion, as about January or February, 

 in which the fame culture, in regard to the degree of heat, 

 and other requilitcs, neceflary tor the other trees, &c. is 

 luit able for thefe. Water fhould be given occalioually to 

 the earth in the pots, and lometiiui s after the fruit is fet, 

 throwing it lightly over the branches on a warm funny 

 day ; and the} v. ill thus produce ripe fruit in April or the 

 .'. ing month. 



However, the forcing of this fort of fruit is now fddom 

 much attended to, in eouicquencc of other liner lorts being 



lo gl 'lUlllllll. 



Rliiiv, in the Materia Mttlica. The r'ibes rubrum or 

 ruli/um, /.c.the red currant, and the ribu album, or white 

 currant, are varietie, ol the lame fpecies, and therefore the 

 fruit of both, confidered in both a botanical and medical 

 fenle, is perfectly analogous. The red currant is abundantly 



cultivated in out a which we are fupplied with 



the fruit ; and this, on account ot tul anility, is 



univerlally acceptable) both in its natural date, and as vari- 

 oully prepared by art with the addition 'I fugar. The juice 

 is a moll agreeable acid in punch. II equal weights of 

 picked currants and pure fugar are put filer the fire, the 



liquor 



