155. Mr Macdonald, gardener at Dalkeith-House, raises currants, both red and white, of the finest quality. A good deal depends on the way in which he manages the bushes, especially during the ripening of the fruit. He prunes the bushes at the usual season of mid-winter, shortening the last year's shoots down to an inch or an inch and a half. Next summer the plants shew plenty of fruit, and at the same time throw out strong shoots. As soon as the berries begin to «dour, he cuts the summer shoots to within five or six inches before the fruit. This is commonly done with the garden shears, vt ith w hie, a man may go over half an acre of bushes in 3 day. Sun and air thus get free access, and more ul the vigour of the plant is directed to the huh: the berries are found not only to be of higher flavour, but larger than usual.
156. Cu rant trees are sometimes trained against a wall. Two branches are led in a horizontal direction along the bottom of the wall, perhaps half a foot from the surface of the earth, and the growth from these of all upright shoots, which will admit of being arranged at the distance of five or six inches from each other, is encouraged. The fruit is produced plentifully on spurs or snags some years old, either on wall or standard bushes; but the largest berries are afforded by young wood, and this is therefore to be oc casionally supplied. On a south or south-west wall, the fruit is about three weeks earlier than on standards; and on a north or east wall, if the fruit be defended front birds, by means of netting, it will remain good till October ; if matted over when ripe, it will endure even till November. Sometimes a few standard bushes are likewise matted up, and on these the fruit will sometimes hang, m pretty good condition. till the approach Of frost. On espalier rails the ft nit conies early, and of fine size and flavour. ,Currants, it mav be remarked, should be gathered only when in a dry state; if collected in rainy weather, they lose their flan your.
Black Currant.
157. The Black Currant (Ribes nigrum, Linn.) is also Considered as a native of Britain, and is described and figured as such in Botany, t. 1291. It is very ge nerally cultivated, though not in great quantity, in private gardens. The berries have a very peculiar taste, which however to many people is not disagreeable. In England, they are used in puddings and tarts. A well known jelly is made from them ; and if a small proportion only of sugar be used, an agreeable rob is formed. The flavour of the
young leaves in spring is strong ; a small leaf, laid for a few minutes into an infusion of bohea tea, communicates its flavour, which has been compared to that of green tea.
The black currant bush agrees with a damp soil better than the red. The management of both is much the same ; only the shoots of the black are not cut to spurs as in the red, the fruit being produced in a different way. The plants are regularly pruned every winter, from a third to a fourth part of the old or exhausted wood being cut out annually, and the straightest and best placed shoots being preserved. In summer, all superfluous growth is displaced, especially from the centre of the bushes. The black currant•tree produces more fruit as a standard than when trained against a wall ; but in the latter way, the berries are con siderably larger.
Gooseberry.
158. The Gooseberry-bush (Ribes grossularia, Linn. rough-fruited gooseberry, Eng. Bot. t. 1292, and R. uva crisfd, L. common or smooth-fruited, Eng. Bot. t. 2057,) if not a native plant, is at least completely naturalized in this country. It often appears in woods, and not unfrequently on the walls of ruinous buildings ; but to these places the seeds may no doubt have been carried by birds. The cul ture of this fruit has for a number of years been particu larly attended to in the north-west of England ; and the size and beauty of the Lancashire gooseberries have procured them the first character. In the south of Europe, we be lieve, the fruit is generally small and neglected ; and when foreigners witness our Lancashire berries, they are ready to consider them as forming quite a different kind of fruit. In France, the gooseberry is called groseille a maquerau, from its being used as a seasoning to mackerel.
159. The varieties of the fruit are very numerous, per haps not fewer than two hundred. They are distinguished by names not less sonorous, nor less fanciful and unmean ing, than those bestowed by the Dutch on their tulips and hyacinths ; such as, Glory of England, Glory of Eccles, Bank of England, Nelson's Victory, Scc. Many new ones are constantly coming into notice, and others are falling into neglect. They are classed according as their colours are red, green, yellow, or white. The names of a very few of each of these, which are at present most in esteem, shall be mentioned.