94 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 7. 
of the heathen have been retained in some measure 
by the Roman Catholics; and if reference is made to 
the “Adages” of Erasmus, much will bo found thereon 
“the religious use of Beans.” Tho “ Carlings” or fried 
Peas eaten in some places on Mid-Lent Sunday, have 
their origin from the same classic source; and so general 
was this food looked upon as a religious rite, that 
Skelton, apostrophizing a profane person, tells him that 
people speak of him as one 
“ Who in holy season 
Will neither have Beanes ne reason.” 
Another writer of tho Middle Ages says:—“ After the 
sallad (eaten in Lout at the first service) we eat fried 
Beanes, by which we understand Confession. When we 
would have Beanes well sodden we lay them in stoepo, 
for otherwise they will never seetli kindly. Therefore, 
if we propose to amend our faults, it is not sufficient 
barely to confess them at all adventure, but we must let 
our confession lie in steepe in tho water of meditation.” 
These symbolical employments of Beans, both by the 
heathen, and by some Christians, arc all traceable, we 
think, to their similar use in the prophetic time. 
PRUNING BLACK, RED, AND WHITE 
CURRANTS. 
In order to pursue tho subject of pruning in an in¬ 
structive way, we may as well take our fruits in that 
order which may bo considered as best befiting the 
circumstances of the period, and the natural habits of 
the trees themselves. 
The Br.AOK Currant. —Next to the Gooseberry, this 
may be considered the most important of bush fruits. 
In this part of the country, tho cottagers make much 
profit of them, the climate being peculiarily suitable. 
Black Currants, Damsons, and Apples, are hero 
(Cheshire) the chief objects of the cottage gardener’s 
care, and by means of each or all of these he not 
unfrequently pays his rent. 
When we take into consideration that Cheshire is 
noted for cheese, and for the above-named fruits, we 
may very naturally reflect, if there be any identity in 
the natural habits of these things; whether as to the 
atmosphere or the soil. Such a thought has often struck 
me, and its full consideration, I think, leads us to a 
great fact. Whatever part the soil may play in these 
results, whether it possess any special character or no, 
there can be no question that the atmosphere plays, at 
least, one equally important part. I cortainly never 
lived in our eastern counties, but from what I have 
gleaned concerning them, I infer that the average 
amount of air-moisture in Cheshire and Lancashire, as 
compared with most of those counties on the borders of 
the German Ocean, must be much greater. And what 
about air moisture?—admitting that you are tolerably 
correct—our scrutineers naturally ask; and I am obliged 
to them for putting the question. It is, I think, doubt¬ 
less, owing, in tho main, to this, that Cheshire owes most 
of its fame for cheese ; by means of a liberal amount 
of it their pastures grow in a more continuous way. 
Damsons, which are so liable to the depredations of the 
red spider, are here better enabled to withstand its 
attacks, and as for our present subject, the Black 
Currant, why everybody knows that it loves both air- 
moisture and root-moisture. 
The Apple, too, under tho influences of a dry 
atmosphere, long continued, is very apt to be infested 
with a boat of insect enemies, and the fruit, in con¬ 
sequence, is lean, and comparatively worthless. Such 
considerations as these serve to show the reason why 
certain fruits thrive better in our county, or division of 
the kingdom, than another. Damsons, for instance, are 
seldom seen in perfection near the great Metropolis, 
and, indeed, in lew of our southern or south-eastern 
counties. 
Tho pruning of the Black Currant is, perhaps, more 
simple than most of our bush fruit, being, in the main, 
confined to thinning-out. These bushes, however, vary 
much in character, according to their age, the previous 
mode of pruning, and to the soil. Old trees are apt to 
be of considerable height, and in the attempts made 
occasionally to keep them within bounds in this respect, 
it may turn out that much shortening-back has to be 
resorted to, and this has, of course, a tendency to cause 
the main twigs to branch exceedingly, and by much 
shading to render the bearing qualities of young shoots, 
lower down, to greaLly diminish. In this case,— 1 would 
point to an error in practice—the finest fruit is produced 
upon clean, young shoots, which should neither be ex¬ 
cessively long nor stumpy ; very long growths generally 
have great lengths between the buds, and, to say nothing 
of the character of the fruit, this has a tendency to 
cause the bush to attain an inconvenient height speedily. 
Very stumpy wood, tho lateral produce of strong 
branches, pruned hack as before observed, is injurious 
to the successional shoots, which are always springing 
from below to renew the bush, and these arc chiefly the 
result of cutting back main branches into older wood ; 
a thing to be avoided. 
Let the pruner, therefore, prefer wood of a medium 
character, certainly rather strong than otherwise, and 
when branches become so coarse and tall as to peril the 
welfare of the other portions of the bush, rather let 
them be totally removed than stumped back; thus 
avoiding the production of those thick bunches of laterals 
complained of. I have no doubt, however, of this re¬ 
jected wood producing fine fruit; but then, if such is 
to he encouraged, why the other class of shoots must, 
undergo considerable sacrifice, and the result will 
speedily be tall, gawky, and unwieldy bushes, shading 
much ground. 
The pruner, therefore, must first go round his bush 
and see what is its general character; whether it has 
been well-used or ill-used; whether it merely needs 
ordinary handling, or whether a sacrifice has to be made 
in consequence of previous bad management; such 
sacrifice generally consisting in cutting away, occa¬ 
sionally, whole branches, if needs be. 
When bushes have been properly managed, the labours 
of the pruner are both light and simple. He has, of 
course, to thin out the young spray where too thick : and 
now the misinformed will naturally desire to know at 
what average distance tho young shoots of healthy 
bushes may be placed; for, indeed, this constitutes one 
of the chief points in the affair. 1 should say, then, 
that tho young shoots should not be nearer than 
throe inches; this is, indeed, rather close practice. In 
this, as in most other fruits, tho size and closeness of 
the foliage is a prime consideration, and, of course, has 
close reference to the degree of light admitted to (he 
various portions of the tree or bush, and its equalisation. 
And now about shortening. There arc those who are 
averse to all shortening-in the Black Currant; but I 
cannot confess to being one of them, although 1 would 
avoid it as much as possible, for reasons before stated. 
When any portion of tho bush is extending beyond I he 
bounds of convenience, I say, reduce it; but only in | 
such casos. 
The chief consideration, after admitting the average i 
distance of tho young shoots, is to sustain a certain 
amount of symmetry in the bush, for this of necessity i 
