PRUNING GOOSEBERRIES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14975, 23 May 1914, Page 9

PRUNING GOOSEBERRIES.

Tho best time to prime gooseberries is just after tho leaf tails, l'his will permit of the clearing away fit the clippines and allow' a tree mulching of xae soil around the base of the plant. lh:s fruit is not a deep-rooter, aim if treated rijrhtly in the way of mulch, will dovelop a" ma.ss of surface roots, a iie ; cessary qualification it' Heavy crops oi good fruit are desired. iv passing, it may lw stated that the gooseberry resents bad drainage more than any other fruit. An over-supply ot moisture in winter has many times destroyed whole plantations ot ".gooseberries. Pruning gooseberries i« a simple act. and can be undertaken by ai.y avers age-minded person. Th* , nrst pa ut to consider is the removal of all dead wood. Atter this has been done tako out all w'oo«l that is «w»r the

ground, thus helping the bnsh to grow upward and outward, so that the branches may yet light and air. Go cirotullv and regularly over the bush with tlie knife, "removing all weakly young shoots aud any others that are likely to make the bush crowded. Leave the strong young shoots that prom's* to make the plant healthy and shapely. Prune out all cross shoots and follow the. plan of keeping the centre of' the bush open. Any young shoots starting from the main growths should be spurred back to within half an inch of the old growth. These spurs will bear the fruit. ( It is always on the spurs that the gooseberry bears its fruit, and the more hralthy tho spurs the better the crop. As stated before-, it is wise to leave young shoots which promise to make tho plant, healthy. This should always he <!ono whore there in (space for it to be done, and where such a growth will not affect tin* light and air of other growths. Keep the bush weil balanced, which should be the object of tho primer. Cut back slightly the onds of the main growths. This will ensure young growths, without which tho health and v'gour of the plant cannot be kept up. As stated hofore, after pruning apply a. topdressing of manure around the base of the plant. Tn the fruiting season this is also done, and also before the ripening free potations of liquid manure are given to improve the quality and size of the fruit.