ON HEARTXG COMMOX FRUITS. 



97 



only and no branches, to long stakes : or, what is more 

 usual, somewhat in form of a funnel, by cuttino: out the 

 centre branches to admit light. AVhen the fruit is to be 

 gathered green, the thicker the bush and tlie more 

 numerous the shoots the better; but when it is intended 

 for ripening, the centre of the bush should always be left 

 open to admit light and air. 



In the same way, by means of stakes to tie the shoots 

 to, trees may be trained in form of a funnel or of a fan; 

 but none of these modes of training are equal to that of 

 allowing the tree to form a uniform and compact bush, 

 nor will so much fruit be produced by any other method 

 as by that last mentioned. It will be important to dig 

 around the trees, and point in occasionally some well- 

 rotted manure. 



AYhen the trees are old the new shoots will be very 

 short, and when the fruit-spurs have borne for two or 

 three years, they ought to be thinned out. For prize 

 gooseberries, only one berry on a shoot is left to ripen. 



A.—Black Carrants. 



Black currants are chiefly used for making jelly — useful 

 in cases of sore throat, and also as a wholesome luxury. 



The cultivation is precisely the same as that of the 

 gooseberry, except that black currant trees require less 

 pruning, as they do not produce such an abundance of 

 young shoots. All dead or unproductive wood should be 

 cut out every winter, and the shoots thinned, so as not to 

 crowd each other, and to admit light, but very rarely 

 shortened. 



The trees grow high and straggling, and, from re- 

 quiring much room, are not very convenient in small 

 gardens, except in out-corners, or trained to walls or 

 palings; but even in this case they are not profitable. 

 The ix'aples sort is by far the best for produce and 

 flavour. Black currant trees are extremely liable to be 

 infested with aphides, and if the leaves on which they 

 appear are not promptly sprinkled with tobacco-water, 

 they will entirely strip the trees of their leaves, and do 

 great injury. 



K 



