AvuGeustT, 1906 
to be trained in tree form, with but one stem, 
all suckers should be rubbed off; but this 
is not usually desirable except for extra choice 
fruit. The bush form, with several stems, is 
preferable. It gives more fruit than the tree 
form and there is less danger of the plant 
being killed by borers. At the close of the 
first, second, and third seasons no pruning is 
necessary except to thin out weak or crowding 
shoots and to head back shoots growing out of 
bounds. The third year the plants should 
bear a fair crop. By the end of the fourth 
year some of the oldest wood may need to be 
removed. 
The vital point in pruning currants and 
gooseberries is to secure and to preserve 
every year a number of vigorous young shoots 
from the roots, and to cut out every year 
some of the oldest wood. Many backyard 
currant bushes produce very small bunches of 
inferior quality, not because they are under- 
fed, but because they are full of black, gnarly 
branches, which are too old and too weak to 
develop strong fruit buds. The largest 
bunches and largest currants are borne at the 
base of one-year-old shoots, or on short one- 
year-old spurs; the best gooseberries are 
borne on two- and three-year-old wood. 
Therefore, to get the highest quality of both 
fruits, it is necessary to keep up a continuous 
supply of vigorous shoots. Cut out the 
oldest branches the fourth year and each 
year thereafter, leaving no wood over three 
years old. Leave from six to twelve of the 
strongest shoots of the past season’s growth, 
and cut out all spindling shoots. Very long 
shoots may be headed back. Branches that 
lie upon the ground should be removed, as 
these never bear the best fruit. Try to dis- 
tribute the shoots regularly over the plant; 
cut out crowding branches, as in tree pruning. 
Do not hesitate to cut out half the bush if 
that is necessary to rid it of devitalized old 
wood and of weak young wood. The com- 
mon mistake in pruning currants and goose- 
berries is to let the bushes stay too thick. 
Pruning may be done in the fall or in early 
spring, before the buds break. Cut out 
borer-infested shoots when pruning. 
LITTLE FERTILIZING NEEDED 
Aside from the annual mulching with 
rotted manure no fertilizer is needed in most 
fruit gardens. This mulch should be spread 
around the bushes in the fall and worked into 
the soil in the spring, unless the plants are 
to be mulched continuously. On rich but 
moist soils, however, manuring can be over- 
done. Currants, especially, are liable to 
make wood growth at the expense of fruit 
bearing if stimulated too highly with manure. 
A potash fertilizer, as unleached wood ashes, 
often greatly improves the quality of currants 
and gooseberries grown on strong soils. 
THE HARVEST 
A strong currant plant should yield from 
two or five pounds of high grade fruit. 
Gooseberries usually outyield currants. Cur- 
rants should be picked when dry. One of 
the satisfactory things about both is that 
the fruit can remain on the bushes for a long 
time without seriously injuring their culinary 
THE, GAR DEN 
MAGAZINE 
Six good currants for the home garden. 
Market, White Grape, Transparent, 
superior in table quality to the red sorts 
or dessert value. Currants may hang for 
several weeks after quite ripe, gaining in 
quality all the time. Pick them by pinching 
off the branches, do not pull off the berries. 
The thorns of gooseberries are bothersome 
to the picker if he tries to reach in for the 
berries, but if he lifts up a branch with one 
hand and picks the berries, which are mostly 
on the lower side of the branch, with the 
other hand, he will avoid scratches. The 
thornless varieties have not yet proved to be 
of special value. 
VARIETIES FOR HOME USE 
The most popular varieties of red currants 
are Victoria, Cherry, Versaillaise and Fay. 
The Prince Albert is often grown for a late 
sort. The Wilder is perhaps the best of the 
newer varieties. The white varieties should 
be grown in the fruit garden more than at 
present, because they are somewhat better in 
quality than the red sorts, and equally pro- 
ductive. White Grape and White Imperial 
From left to right the 
Pomona and Moore's Select. 
11 
bunches are 
The white 
London Red, London 
varieties are slightly 
are reliable. The European black sorts are 
very seldom grown in America; the odor 
of the plant and the flavor of the fruit are 
very disagreeable to most people. But this 
disagreeable odor and flavor can be removed 
from the fruit by scalding and it then makes a 
jam which is preferred to red currant jam by 
many. Macerated black currants put into 
cold water make a delicious and refreshing 
summer drink. Because of these advan- 
tages and also because they are not attacked 
by currant worms, there should be at least a 
few bushes of black currants in the fruit 
garden. Black Naples is grown the most. 
The most popular gooseberries in. America 
are Downing, Houghton and Pale Red, all 
varieties of our native gooseberry. The 
plants are very thrifty, productive and free 
from disease. The fruit is unexcelled for pie, 
jam, sauce and jelly; and while not equal to 
most of the English sorts for eating out of 
hand, some people consider them good 
enough. Improved dessert varieties of our 
Downing gooseberry. A popular American variety of exceptional merit. 
Easy to grow, and does not mildew 
