THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, June 22, 1858, 
175 
our readers, perhaps, have never thoroughly con- Currant. They are apt to produce an inconvenient 
sidered. And then the quantity of land they would amount of breast shoots, which rob the fruit consider- 
occupy and shade. But how well they fit in with a 
general garden system, and, when highly cultivated, 
conduce to appearances, I need hardly mention. The 
subjects with which we have to deal at present are— 
Raspberries, G-ooseberries, Black Currants, and Red 
ilnd White Currants. 
Raspberries are, perhaps, more liable to suffer from 
ffick of moisture than from any other cause. They 
like a soil, therefore, which contains a permanency, 
without stagnation. They will, for the above reason, 
succeed pretty w~ell in a half-shaded situation: but 
the fruit never attains that high flavour, so much 
esteemed in the Raspberry. We have some highly 
improved kinds of the Raspberry at present in culti¬ 
vation. One called the Sandon Hall is a very fine 
fruit, of great size and excellent flavour: I think it 
superior to the Fastoljf, in all but 
ably ; and here is a case where summer pruning is of 
much service. This is performed when the breast 
shoots are about nine inches in length : they may be 
shortened to three inches, which is necessary to protect 
them from intense sunlight; for, if it shines much im¬ 
mediately on the berries, before the colouring period, 
they will lose size as well as juiciness. But the ter¬ 
minal points, also, are apt to lengthen inconveniently :• 
these may be shortened when from eight inches' to a 
foot in length. 
These proceedings will throw much strength into' 
the berry, which is most desirable. It is of no use 
suffering young growing spray to any indefinite ex> 
tent: it is but adding more woody matter; whereat 
the prime object should be, to throw as much into the 
fruit as possible. As for weak growth, that merely 
points to the need of manure, and may be amended 
properties ; for, with me, the latter continues in bear- by surface dressings, or by digging out a trench 
ing long after the other kinds ; appearing to partake, in around them, and introducing manurial matters, 
some degree, of the double-bearing. Those who desire Amongst the chief recommendations I have to offer, 
Raspberries through the end of the summer, should let me urge that there be no surface digging at any 
prune some of the canes back to later eyes, or buds, period nearer than three feet from the bole of the 
the spade than 
same, indeed, with 
long 
bearing 
after the bushes have sprouted an inch or two. This 
forces them to sprout lower down the stem. Of 
course, later Raspberries like liberal manurings; in¬ 
deed they should have a little annually, and no 
digging over the roots should be permitted. 
Goosebeeeies. —Amongst all the bush fruits this 
delights most in an open, free, and generous soil,— 
one rather dark in colour seems to suit it best. The 
Red and White Currant like a similar soil; but, if too 
generous, they will produce too much watery wood. 
It is, however, difficult to make the soil too good for 
Gooseberries, with any reasonable amount of manurial 
matters. Many good gardeners, in these parts, pack 
about half a barrowful round the stem of each bear¬ 
ing bush every winter. This washes down in nutri¬ 
tion to the roots, and keeps them damp in dry and 
hot periods. Little summer pruning is needed for the 
Gooseberry,—just enough to keep the boughs from 
dangling too low, and becoming splashed. For this 
purpose the ordinary shears may be used, only re¬ 
moving any portion of the points which are disposed 
to touch the soil. 
Black Cueeants. — These love a moist soil : 
drought, especially when they are in blossom, or 
swelling, is almost sure to engender aphides. For 
this reason, cottagers in country places are in the 
habit of packing damp manure round their stems, in 
order to retain the moisture, as well as to encourage 
surface fibres. In dry periods, during the end of 
tree: there is more harm done with 
by any other means. It is the 
most other fruit trees. 
White Cueeants. —These like a light and rich 
soil, and require it to be generous. They should by 
all means have a surface dressing—only a little— 
every winter, if fine fruit is desired. They require 
less shortening than the Red, and seldom much 
summer pruning of the breast shoots. It is astonish¬ 
ing what a weight of fruit a White Currant bush 
will produce, if of a good kind, and properly handled. 
I may now offer a few miscellaneous remarks and 
suggestions. In the first place, as to insects. A paper 
has appeared on this subject, a number or two back, as 
regards the Gooseberry. Currants are chiefly liable 
to the aphis, and a troublesome enemy it is, having 
the power of distorting the foliage to an immense 
extent, in fact, forming thereby a place of retreat that 
almost bids us defiance. The only plan is, to attack 
them whilst young with tobacco water, before the 
foliage collapses. Many, however, may be removed in 
thesummerpruning,forall gardeners have not labourers 
enough to meet the increasing contingencies of later 
years ; and this, more by far than the want of know* 
ledge, is the cause of many of the evils that we still 
find besetting the fruit gardener. The aphis is the 
most powerful enemy of the Black Currant, and may 
be attacked similarly ; but preventives go a long way, 
as before observed. Thorough waterings, about a 
May and first week in June, those who suspect any couple of times, the last week in May and the middle 
drought at the root, should give their bushes a 
thorough soaking of water ; if soapsuds are mixed 
with it all the better : this will generally secure a 
good crop, and avert the attacks of the fly. Here I 
must protest against the use of the spade. I do not 
allow it to come within three feet of my bushes. 
Summer pruning is not needed with the Black 
Currant; unless it be a few of the lower shoots, bend¬ 
ing with their weight and touching the ground. If, 
however, any of the young points grow to an incon¬ 
venient height, they may be pinched, or cut back, any 
time during the month of Junc, leaving a few of the 
lower leaves. 
Red Cueeants. —The Reds are much coarser-grow¬ 
ing bushes than the Whites, and do not require so 
much manure : indeed, where they make coarse 
breastwood, manure is out of the question; whereas 
it is not easy to over-manure the Whites. Both Red 
and White Currants delight in a free and 
and will endure drought much better than the 
open soil, 
‘ Black 
of June, will effect wonders : Black Currants will 
endure almost any amount of moisture. 
The retarding of bush fruit is a point too little 
noticed or attended to, and this chiefly through the 
pressure of other matters at the period proper to attend 
to them. Gooseberries, Red and White Currants, 
Raspberries, &c., look exceedingly ornamental when 
trained on trellises, providing they can at all times be 
kept in trim. If, however, they cannot be properly 
attended to, such had better be omitted. On per¬ 
pendicular rails, too, they are very easily protected, or 
shaded, when requisite ; and this is a consideration as 
to both earliness and lateness, as well as to birds. 
Trellises of strained wire are cheaply knocked up now¬ 
adays, and may be admirably adapted to their habits. 
Further, with regard to pruning in the rest season, I 
may observe, that a too sparing hand is the common 
fault. Gooseberries, especially, require more thinning 
than is commonly awarded them. The interior 
shoots of the bush, in healthy trees, should be 
