Daily Kennebec journal., 1881-07-26
miscellaneous.
GOoseberries and Currants.

The cultivator Of small fruits will now
be in the midst of his currant harvest,
while gooseberries are past their prime
The certainty with which these fruits re-
spond to the little care required by them.
and the delicious acidity OF their fruit, al
ways we e'cJme in hot weather. will always
make them fayorites with the fruit grower
The soil best adapted to these fruits il
strong. clav loan, well drained they do
well also on drained meadow, and deep,
sandy loan, but will not thrive on soils Of
dry or gravelly nature. since they re-
qulre constant moisture in dry weather.
The soil should be generously manured,
and the bushes are best planted in Noyem-
Der. in rows five feet apart. either way.
The bushes should not be more than two
years old from cuttings good, thrifty
one-year-old bush being preferable. The
first year after planting they will not grow
very rapidly. and the space between the
rows NAV be planted with bcets or other
root crops. The second year the bushes
will begin 10 spread 80 rapidly tha. culti
walton by horse power will be difficult.
without injury to the bushes. and in order
to keep down weeds. and at the same time
to preserve moisture in the soil, a heavy
mulch should be applied; this NAV be Of
any convenient material at hand, dry
leaves. bog hay. sedgc. sea weed, tan bark
or sawdust; IL should be applied in guam
tity sufficient TO keep down the weeds, say
two or three inches deep, and will need re-
newai every year. The scattering weeds
thatcome up through the mulch will readily
be pulled up by hand The bushes need
little care. except 10 dust them with helle-
bore promptly. on the first appearance OF
the currant worm, aud to watch for him
constantly during summer. since a few
days neglect will sometimes give oppor
tunity for this destructive insect to strip
most Of the foliage from the bushes. The
bushes also need some bruning, which
may be- done either in spring or fall, care
being taken to give the bush a shapely
form, and To remove the old wood when
it becomes unthriity. The manuring
every autumn shoud not be omitted.
since these bushes are gross feeders.
The best variety Of currant for market,
without doubt. is the cherry. The Vic
toria IL also an excellent sort coming
later and holding in good condition
till late in August. The white currants
and black currants do not take well in
market, but the white ones are pleasant
for variety. upon the table and those who
Ike black currant JeiIy think not ling can
compare with il. The old Dutch red cur
rant is good sort aud will bear neglect
better than some kinds, but all kinds re-
spond so generously to good feeding and
mulching, that neglect of these points
seems unpardonable.
For jellies red currants are used mostly
and should be picked before they are over
ripe; the frequent complaint that the '.iel
ly won't jell' being usually do to an over
ripe condition of the fruit
The best gooseberry by far is the
Charles Downing larger than the Ilough-
ton and equally productive. The green
gooseberry makes most delicious sauce
and preserves, and when ripe is very nice
to eat raw 1t is always salablc in mar
ket at about - 80 per bushcl sometimes
for more; of less importance than the cur
rant. IL is however fruit | should be sor-
nv to part with. and consider fairly profit
able to the grower. The few gardeners
who have had partial success with the
large English goosrberries, say that cool
partly shady location suits them; but il is
impossible to be sure of avoiding mildew
with them. hence their culture is confined
10 the amateur garden. while the garden
er for profit. plants only the smaller Am
erican sorts.-H,, u. IhHbrick.