568 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



ciple of growth laterally, by which additional 

 strength may possibly be thrown into the spurs, 

 and indeed induce a stronger habit in the whole 

 plant. In regard to young plants both of cur- 

 rants and gooseberries, it may be observed that 

 red and white currants struck from cuttings the 

 preceding season usually produce three or four 

 weakly shoots of a few inches only in length. 

 Three of the best of these should be selected, 

 and if nearly equidistant so much the better. 

 Eemove the tips of the shoots, to induce them 

 to throw out stronger ones the following sea- 

 son, from which the future form of the plant is 

 to be moulded. For dwarf plants to be grown 

 as bushes, the circular form is that most usually 

 adopted. The best way of securing this form 

 is to place a strong hoop, about 30 inches in 

 diameter, supported on neat stakes driven into 

 the ground, and to this hoop to train the young 

 shoots. Some carry this further, and by \ising 

 stakes of greater length place another hoop 

 above the former a foot or so, and continue to 

 train the branches as they advance. The 

 branches should not be trained closer than 

 about 12 inches asunder. Should the leading 

 ones, the first year after planting, be not of 

 sufficient length to reach the hoop, conductors 

 of small twigs should be employed to lead them 

 towards them, and also preserve them from 

 being broken in their young state. A good deal 

 in this depends on the size of the plants when 

 first planted in their permanent situation ; and, 

 therefore, plants partially trained in this way 

 in the nursery for two years are to be preferred, 

 and at that age, if carefully removed early in 

 autumn, will not fail to succeed. These, if they 

 reach the hoops at planting, will require little 

 pruning the following year, as the operation of 

 transplanting, acting as a species of root-prun- 

 ing, will induce them to throw out spurs or 

 fruit-buds rather than to elongate from their 

 points. The following season, as the leading 

 shoots extend, they should be conducted verti- 

 cally towards the upper hoop, and all super- 

 fluous side-shoots removed as in ordinary bush- 

 training. The advantage of this cup or cylin- 

 drical mode of training is, admitting abundance 

 of light and air to every part of the plant, leaves 

 and fruit alike enjoying their influence. The 

 plants occupy less space, and have a more busi- 

 ness-like appearance. In common bush-pruning, 

 the leading branches should have a portion of 

 their points cut off annually at the winter 

 pruning, to cause them to send out side spurs. 

 If this topping is neglected, the consequence 

 will be that, if the plants are growing feebly, 

 a great portion of the young leading shoots will 

 be devoid of spurs, whereas they ought to be 

 clothed with them in moderate profusion along 

 their whole length. In regard to the extent of 

 terminal shoots removed, 7 inches may be 

 taken as the average; but the strength of the 

 wood and condition of the plant should govern 

 this, bearing in mind, in all such cases of 

 shortening, the stronger the shoot the less 

 should be cut off ; whereas, in proportion to the 

 weakness of the plant the more should the 

 reduction be, even often, in extreme cases, to 

 leaving only an inch or two. 



As to side pruning or spurring in — that is, 

 cutting off at winter pruning those numerous 

 young shoots that are produced during the pre- 

 ceding summer—" the business assigned these," 

 Mr Errington thinks, and no doubt with much 

 good reason, " is doubtless to elaborate matter 

 of an accretive character for the due encourage- 

 ment of the growth of spurs which otherwise 

 would consume more of the accretive material 

 than they create, and thereby draw too heavily 

 on the system of the tree. They are thus, as it 

 were, rendered self-supporting ; and although 

 we cannot speak from experience, yet we have 

 little doubt that if any one would persist in dis- 

 budding all these shoots the moment they ap- 

 pear, the spurs at their base would soon be 

 troubled with a sort of vegetable atrophy, and 

 dwindle away in a very short period. Good 

 pruners, therefore, cut all these back to within 

 about \ inch of their base, which gives the spring 

 blossoms plenty of room for growth, and at the 

 same time leaves an eye or two of wood-buds, 

 which in a few weeks produce the same cha- 

 racter of spray as their progenitors ; thus a per- 

 manent provision is made for the stability and 

 long endurance of the spurs." The leading 

 branches should be carried up as nearly perpen- 

 dicular as possible, and these at proper distances, 

 shortening the terminal shoots to cause them to 

 furnish the whole branch with spurs, and these 

 to be thinned when too much crowded, short- 

 ened back when they attain too great a length ; 

 but this is seldom, under good management, 

 found to be the case. In pruning the red and 

 white currant, six main shoots are considered by 

 many as quite sufficient to be retained as leaders, 

 when the plants are to be grown in the bush 

 form. The terminal shoots on these should be, 

 at the winter pruning, shortened back to 4 or 

 6 inches according to their strength ; but when 

 they have extended to nearly the intended 

 height of the plant, these terminals should be 

 cut back yearly to one or two buds. All the 

 lateral shoots are to be cut back to within an inch 

 of their base at every winter pruning for the 

 production of spurs. The pinching back the 

 young shoots during summer has no doubt the 

 effect of admitting more light and air to the 

 centre of the bushes, but it may have, to a cer- 

 tain extent, the effect of lessening the amount 

 of elaborated sap formed by the leaves, and 

 through these shoots conveyed to the spurs. 

 However this may be regarded by physiologists, 

 one thing we think is quite certain, that a large 

 portion of the weakest of the young spray, and 

 where it is most crowded, should be removed, 

 if only to allow light and air to act fully on the 

 best formed shoots and leaves that are left. 

 What has been said above in reference to the 

 red and white currant is very applicable also to 

 the gooseberry, their near ally. Summer prun- 

 ing the currant is no doubt of great advantage 

 both to the fruit and health of the tree. This 

 should, however, be cautiously performed, and in- 

 deed a sort of early disbudding should take place, 

 by removing all weak in shape, or superfluous 

 young shoots, because the matter destined for 

 their support will be directed into the parts left. 



Forcing. — Both the red and white currant are 



