CLIBRANS’ LIST OF FRUITS, 1909-10. 
4i 
CURRANTS. 
Black Currants thrive best in a deep cool moist soil. On a dry sand or 
gravel and on hot shallow soils they are practically useless. They often 
grow luxuriantly on a wet soil, but are liable to disease when the laud is 
sour. A soil containing abundance of humus or vegetable matter suits 
them well, as such a soil is as a rule sufficiently damp for the moisture- 
loving rootlets, and sufficiently cool to prevent their over stimulation. The 
surface roots are very sensitive both to mutilation and drought. Ground 
occupied by Black Currants should therefore be disturbed as little as 
possible after the bushes are established ; on the majority of soils a 
mulching of manure before the advent of the hot season will often preserve 
the plants from a serious check. 
I n preparing the ground for Black Currants it should be stirred as deeply 
as practicable. Where the soil is inclined to be hot or dry, abundance of 
vegetable matter should be added in tbe form of farmyard manure, spent 
hot bed manure, leaf mould or peat. When light the soil may with 
advantage be clayed or marled, when too heavy it should be mixed with 
sand, or preferably burnt clay. Planting should be done as soon after 
leaf-fall as possible, since late planted bushes are liable to form but an 
indifferent supply of surface roots. Where the ground is not in thoroughly 
good heart to begin with, the farmyard manure for the first mulching should 
bave rape dust and fine bone meal mixed with it about six weeks before use 
in such proportions that the bed may receive about 50Z. of rape dust and 
30Z. of bone meal to the square yard. This dressing greatly promotes 
healthiness and vigour, and may be profitably repeated every third or fourth 
year. In a dry season liquid manure is most effective in producing fully 
developed berries, especially where the crop promises to be a heavy one. 
Where liquid manure from the fold yard is not available, an excellent 
substitute may be made by dissolving sulphate of ammonia in water at the 
rate of half an ounce to the gallon. 
As the finest fruit is produced on last year’s wood, pruning must be 
confined to the removal of old and superfluous wood, the shortening of 
growths of undue length and the thinning out or complete removal of 
suckers according as the plant is grown as a natural bush or a clean 
stemmed tree. 
Though profiting by good soil and exposure, Red and White Currants 
grow well in more exposed localities, and on poorer soil than the Black 
Currants. Their roots are not so sensitive to drought or heat, and though 
preferring a good heavy loam they can with careful mulching be made to 
succeed on sandy or gravelly soil, where the Black Currants would utterly 
fail. An ounce and a half of Kainit per square yard, a similar dressing of 
superphosphate of lime, and on light soils 30Z. of salt in addition, will 
materially improve their bearing powers. Liquid manure and sulphate of 
ammonia are also of the greatest value, especially in a dry season. 
As Red and White Currants bear their fruit upon spurs, a system of 
pruning very different from that for the Black Currants has to be adopted. 
So long as the bush is extending, the main branches should have their ends 
pinched out when they have made from 8 to 12 inches of new growth, 
according to their vigour, and in the Winter this should be reduced to 6 to 
9 inches. When the bush has attained its full desired size, the pinching 
■out must of course be done earlier. All side shoots not required for 
extension should have the tops pinched out as soon as they have made six 
leaves, and in the Winter time should be cut back to half an inch from the 
main branch. 
