Book I. 



RASPBERRY. 



737 



and sun, and promote the growth of the fruit and improve its flavor. Also twist off all root-suckers as 

 they appear, 



4689. Winter pruning. " This extends both to the old and young wood; the time for it is when the 

 plant is at rest. Of the shoots of the preceding summer, cut out the cross-placed and the otherwise irre- 

 gular, with those which are not wanted for vacancies ; but superfluous good lateral shoots are to be cut 

 down to short stubs or artificial spurs, about half an inch long, so as to leave an eye or two, in order that 

 they may send out fruit-shoots and spurs. With regard to the old bearers, take away those which are 

 naked, or getting unfruitful, or of which the fruit is declining in size ; reduce any of excessive length, 

 pruning in to some well placed lateral young shoot, to preserve the head within some regular compass: 

 cut out also any decayed or cankery parts ; retain a competency of the finest best-placed new shoots above 

 and below vacant parts, to come in for successional bearers, or to supply the places of defective old wood ; 

 and preserve a leading shoot to the principal branches, where within orderly limits : shortening such termi. 

 nal shoots as are of greatest length, to ten, twelve, or fifteen inches, according to their strength and situation 

 on the branches ; and leaving those of small extent mostly entire. Take care of the small natural fruit- 

 spurs, and occasionally select short lateral roots of one, two, or three inches, for bearing fruit ; or similar 

 small shoots may be cut to short snags of an inch or two long, also for fruiting. Thin out spurs on the 

 old branches where very thick. As the old fruit-branches decline bearing or decay, cut them away, 

 taking care to provide young ones in succession ; and thus keep the trees always furnished with full-bear- 

 ing branches, and advancing young bearers, in a regular open expansion, six, eight, or ten inches asunder 

 at the extremities ; circumscribing the general head within the height of three or four feet, or five at most," 



4690. Macdonald, at Dalkeith House, Neill observes, " raises currants of the finest quality. A good 

 deal depends on the way in which he manages the bushes, especially during the ripening of the fruit. He 

 prunes the bushes at the usual season of mid-winter, shortening the last year's shoots down to an inch or 

 an inch and a half. Next summer the plants show plenty of fruit, and at the same time throw out strong 

 shoots. As soon as the berries begin to color, he cuts off the summer shoots to within five or six inches 

 before the fruit. This is commonly done with the garden -s-hears, with which a man may go over half an 

 acre of bushes in a day. Sun and air thus get free access, and more of the vigor of the plant is directed 

 to the fruit: the berries are found not only to be of 

 higher flavor, but larger than usual." It appears {Caled. 

 Hort. Mem., ii.) that Macdonald had used the knife for his 

 summerpruiiingtill within two years. We confess we regret 

 to hear of the introduction of the shears into the kitchen- 

 garden, and especially into that of so opulent a proprietor, 

 who ought to set an example of order, progresSj and per- 

 fection, and not of reviving random work, for the sake of 

 economy. It would certainly be better to employ women 

 and children. 



4691. To wall-trees, espaliers, and fan-standards with- 

 out support, the same course of summer and winter prun- 

 ing is applicable, with the obvious variations required by 

 their figure. In training wall-trees, two branches are led 

 in a horizontal direction along the bottom of the wall or 

 trellis, perhaps half a foot from the surface of the earth, 

 and the growth from these of all upright shoots, which 

 will admit of being arranged at the distance of five or six inches from each other, is encouraged. Fan- 

 standards are sometimes trained in a manner nearly similar {fig. 496.), and sometimes with the branches 

 radiating from the crown of the stem. 



4692. Insects, &c. The red currant is occasionally attacked by the caterpillar {Phalcena grossularia), 

 and very frequently by the Aphis ribes, which changes the color of the leaves to red, pits and puckers them, 

 and causes the fruit to be shrivelled and flavorless. These are to be destroyed by watering with lime-water, 

 and water alone. 



4693. Forsyth says, " As currants are very liable to be devoured by earwigs, which take shelter under 

 their leaves and branches, bundles of bean-stalks should be hung up some time before the bushes are co- 

 vered with mats or nets. If proper attention be not paid to this, the fruit will generally suffer very much 

 from these insects. After the bushes are covered, take the mats off once in three or four days, and kill 

 the earwigs that have got into the bean-stalk, which it will be necessary still to keep hung up. As there 

 is a sweetness in the inside of bean-stalks which attracts the earwigs, they very readily take shelter in 

 them from rain." 



4694. Tailing the crop and preserving. " The ripening fruit comes in for small gathering in June, ad . 

 vances to maturity in July, and continues in perfection till the end of August : or if trees in a full expo 

 sure are timely defended from birds and the full sun with garden-mats, or protected with nets where they 

 grow against north walls, the fruit may be continued good till September or October." Gather in a dry 

 state, as in rainy weather they lose their flavor. {Abercrombie.) 



4695. Forcing. To obtain early currants by forcing, let some good bearing trees, in pots, be placed, as 

 early as January or February, in any common forcing department : they will produce ripe fruit in April 

 and May. 



SuBSECT. 7. Raspberry. — Ruhis IdtEus, L. {Eng. JBot. 2442.) Icos. Poh/g. L. and 

 Rosacea;, J. Framboisier, Fr. ; Himbeerestrauch, Ger. ; aijd Rovo ideoy Ital. 



4696. The raspberr?/ plant has stems which are suffruticose, upright, rise about two 

 feet high, and are biennial in duration ; but the root is perennial. The leaves are qui- 

 nate-pinnate, the flowers conae in panicles from the extremity of the present year's shoots ; 

 they are white, appear in May and June, and the fruit, which in the wild plant is red, 

 ripens about a fortnight afterwards. Tt is a native of Britain, and not uncommon in 

 woods in low moist situations. 



4697. Use. The fruit is grateful to most palates, as nature presents it, but sugar im- 

 proves the flavor ; accordingly, it is much esteemed when made into sweetmeats, and for 

 jams, tarts, and sauces. It is fragrant, subacid, and cooling ; allays heat and thirst, 

 and promotes the natural excretions in common with other summer fruits. It is nciuch 

 used in distilling, to make the cordial spirituous liquor, to which it gives name. Rasp- 

 berry-syrup is next to the strawberry in dissolving the tartar of the teeth ; and as, like that 

 fruit, it does not undergo the acetous fermentation in the stomach, it is recommended to 

 gouty and rheumatic patients. 



4698. 2Vie varieties are — 



Early small white I Most large red Antwerj) I Twice bearing -white | Woodward's rasi)ben-y. 



Large white Large yellow Antwerp I Twice -bearing red j {Hoivc. P. L, t. 



Large red I Cane or smooth-stalked | Smooth cane, twice-Tjearing | 



3 B 



