142 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the strength into the main crown of the plant. Fresh beds 

 should be made every third year, as after that the old plants 

 are worn out, but the best plan of all is to renew a third part 

 of the beds every year, so as always to have one-third of your 

 plants in their first year, one-third in their second, and one- 

 third in their third year of bearing. Never permit the barbarous 

 plan of cutting all the Strawberry leaves off in the winter. It is 

 most detrimental. 



Thin out the young growths of Raspberries in early summer 

 by pulling up the superfluous ones, and then cut out the old 

 canes altogether as soon as ever they have done fruiting. Manure 

 should be laid over the roots ; but the soil should never be dug 

 near the canes, as Raspberries are essentially surface-rooting 

 plants. The canes, when tied in, should be shortened to a con- 

 venient height, and if the bent-over system of training be 

 adopted you may take about one foot off the ends. 



Red and White Currants should have the side shoots of the 

 last summer's new growth shortened back to a couple of eyes and 

 the main leading shoots to five or six eyes, more or less, accord- 

 ing as it is wished to let the bush increase in size or not. The 

 centre of the bushes should be kept quite free from growths. 

 Black Currants should be pruned on the exactly opposite plan, 

 cutting out the old wood and leaving the young summer growths 

 their full length, only removing shoots in the centre to let in the 

 sun and air. The reason for this is that Red and White Currants 

 bear chiefly on the old wood ; Black Currants on the new (i.e. 

 last year's) growth. 



Gooseberries should have the side shoots of each year's new 

 growth well thinned, cutting them almost all out to an eye, but 

 the leaders of the different branches should be little pruned till 

 the bushes have grown their full size. I prefer to prune Goose- 

 berries and Currants about the first week of February, and then 

 to net them at once from the birds, but in some places it may be 

 needful to net all the winter, in which case they may be pruned 

 in December. I am told that if a mixture of whiting made 

 with milk, with a little glue stirred in, be brushed over the 

 bushes with a long-haired brush immediately after pruning, it 

 will often be enough to keep the birds from eating out the buds. 

 If the colour is objected to, a little soot can be added to the 

 mixture just to darken it. 



