60 
CULTURE OF GOOSEBERRIES. 
all the fruit hangs on the underside of the branches, and therefore 
they get a quantity of forked and hooked pegs. Fig. 6, a, b, the for¬ 
mer to support the branches, which are inclined to trail on the ground, 
and the latter to hold down those which are too much inclined to 
grow upwards, c. The young trees are trained to about three, or 
not more than four shoots, which by means of the pegs, are regu¬ 
larly spread out horizontally. During the summer’s growth, the 
three shoots will produce a quantity of young shoots, and most of 
these, in the autumn pruning, are shortened to one eye, while the 
others are pruned to half their length. No shoots are left either at 
the extremity or the origin of the main branches, but only at the 
sides; the number of shoots left should not exceed two or three on 
each main branch. If the tree be strong, and but few branches are 
left, the size of the fruit may be expected to be proportionally large. 
6 
In after years, when the main branches grow beyond the proper 
bounds, they are cut sufficiently back to keep them in due form, 
and also to keep a proper supply of good wood. 
The roots also are occasionally pruned. When they have ex¬ 
tended too far from the stem, the soil is dug away, and the longest 
roots are shortened back to pretty near half their length, the roots 
being then covered in with fresh rich loam. 
The soil found best for gooseberries of this kind in particular, is of 
a rich, deep, and moderately moist nature. The situation should be 
somewhat sheltered. In planting the trees, fill the trenches with 
manure around the plant, into which the roots will strike, and if a 
shallow bason be left round the stem, for holding the water, soap 
suds, or liquid manure, which is given in dry weather to induce the 
fruit to swell up. 
