CURKANT. 



203 



train that erect ; the next season cut it back to Avithin a 

 foot or eighteen inches of the ground. Allow three to 

 Bix shoots to grow the second season, and at equal distances 

 around the stem, if possible. The third season, shorten, 

 these branches, and allow six to twelve shoots to be pro- 

 duced, and so on from year to year, pruning out and head- 

 mg in, keeping the head open and the branches arranged 

 in a vase form, or as near it as convenient. In some soila 

 single stem plants will live and produce abundantly for 

 eight to ten years, and while young, the fruit will be larger 

 than when grown in thick, compact bushes. For amateurs 

 the single stem system is a very convenient and pretty 

 method, and if a plant fails, it may be replaced without 

 any paiticular loss, but for field culture I prefer the clump 

 or bush form, because it is less trouble, and there is dan- 

 ger of the plants being killed by the Currant Borer, for if 

 one of these gets into the single stemmed plant it destroys 

 It, and a new one must be planted or trained up from one 

 of the many suckers which will usually start from the 

 roots after the main stem has been removed. 



With the Black Currant the case is somewhat difierent ; 

 being naturally a much stronger grower, the stems becom- 

 ing quite large and coarse, they will live for many years, 

 and there is but little danger of insects injuring them. 

 Neither do these require so much pruning as other varie- 

 ties; still, enough should be done to give the bush a regu- 

 lar, open head, as well as to cut out all small, weak shoots. 

 The young, one year old shoots should not be shortened so 

 severely as with other varieties, unless it is necessary for 

 the purpose of giving the plant some particular form, be- 

 cause fruit is produced on the one year old wood as well 

 as upon small spur-like shoots on the old. The varieties 

 of the Eibes nigrum^ (European Black Currant,) and the 

 Rlbes floridum^ and M.avreun^ form much larger bushes 

 than any of the other species ; consequently they should 

 DC allowed more room. If planted in rows, they should 



