The Garden.

Otago Witness, Issue 1323, 7 April 1877, Page 18

The Garden.

GOOSEBERRIES AND CURRANTS.

Why take the trouble to renovate old trees — it may be asked — when young ones can be raised in their place 1 To which the answer is, that young trees cannot be got up in one year, or even two or three, and there are no doubt many who would be glad to know how to bring old and feeble bushes back to a state of vigour and fertility when they are not prepared to raise a fresh stock of young trees, perhaps to leave them to another tenant as soon as they are becoming useful. We have ourselves reason for being well satisfied with the results of " renovation " in very old subjects, such, perhaps, as would have been considered fit for the rubbish heap only, but which have for many a year Biuce yielded the most abundant crops. In fact, though young trees, two-year-olds from the nursery, were planted at the same time, the old ones still bear the main crop. A dozen years ago we found those old bushes growing as hedges round the vegetable quarters, the gooseberries being planted in some places against espalier fruit trees, which they hid altogether. None of them, we should think, were less than thirty years of age, and most of them were probably more. They were in the last stage of feebleness, especially the red currants, some of which were quite beyond redemption. There were about one hundred and fifty bushes altogether, and as they had to be removed, and we could ill afford to dispense with, them at the time, poor as they wore, it was determined to give them another chance. With this view, a north border for the gooseberries, and a quarter for the currants, were trenched overinNovember. Afterwards holes from six to eight feet apart — for the bushes were large — were taken out, and into the bottom of each was dug about a barrowful of good soil or decayed manure, and about as much was reserved for filling oyer the roots when planting was clone. Before November was out all the bushes were taken up, without any balls to their roots, for such could not be had with them, and transferred to their new quarters, and mulched with rotton leaves. At the same time they were pruned, and had their centres opened out by the removal of many of the old limbs which had become much too crowded. The following season, about midsummer, a few of the gooseberries withered and died, and ever sinc_

one or two have gone off in the same way annually, owing to old age no doubt : but, with these exceptions, all have done well. None of the black currants died, and only one or two of the red ones did : but the old limbs of the latter kept going off from time to time, and were replaced by young ones from the bottom, so that most of these are now all composed of new branches from the old roots. All are now as vigorous-looking almost as our young bushes, and appear as if they were good for any length of time. It may be stated that the bushes bore fruit, but not of large size, the summer after they were transplanted, and plentifully the year following. These remarks, it is hoped, will show that old trees may be dealt with summarily, and without fear, when it is desirable to renovate them ; but, of course, it is not always needful to transplant, though that is undoubtedly the best way to give them a fresh start. . Still, top-dressing the roots with fresh, rich soil or manure will invigorate them wonderfully, but it must be done liberally and continued annually for a time. The advantage of transplanting is that the trees make a fresh lot of roots altogether, and they have plenty of room to grow inthe new and unoccupied soil.