New Yokk Agricultural Experiment Station. 643 



or lime-sulphur 1 to 40. Powdered hellebore is sometimes used at 

 the rate of a teaspoonful to a gallon of water. 



Currant borer. The insect eats a burrow along the center of 

 the cane, and remains in this tunnel over winter. The infested 

 canes should be cut out and burned during the winter or early spring. 

 Spraying is useless. 



San Jose scale. Too well known to require a description. Should 

 receive the same dormant treatment as other fruits — lime-sulphur 

 1 to 8, or one of the oil sprays. 



Currant plant-louse. Many small lice found on the under sur- 

 face of the leaves in midsummer causing them to look blistered and 

 reddish on the upper surface. They are sucking insects. Whale 

 oil soap, 1 pound to 5 gallons of water or kerosene emulsion, applied 

 to the underside of the foliage will kill all that are hit with the mixture. 



Diseases. — Leaf -spot. A fungus disease causing a brown spot- 

 ting of the foliage and later death of the affected parts, the leaves 

 often dropping prematurely. Remedy: lime-sulphur, 1 to 40, or 

 bordeaux mixture, 3-3-50, applied at time of spraying for worm$ 

 and again after harvest. 



Cane-blight. A fungus disease quite destructive in the Hudson 

 Valley. One or more canes die during the summer, or the death 

 of the entire bush follows. No satisfactory remedy. 



Hardiness.— Currants are hardy plants and will endure low 

 temperatures without injury. They are liable to suffer more from 

 heat than from cold. Occasionally insects or diseases may so weaken 

 the plant in summer as to cause injury from cold during winter. 



Duration of 'plantations. — The life of currant bushes depends on 

 the care given, on the variety, and also on the soil. Under ordinary 

 conditions they cannot be expected to produce profitable crops for 

 more than eight or ten years although some fields may be held for 

 a longer period. It is desirable, however, to plan for a new bed 

 about every ten years depending on conditions. Old bushes may 

 often be rejuvenated by cutting off all the canes close to the ground 

 and giving a liberal application of stable manure. 



Yields, costs and profits. — Productiveness depends on variety, 

 rainfall, soil, plant food and cultural treatment. The yield may 

 vary from 50 to 250 bushels per acre with an average of from 100 

 to 150 bushels annually, and is influenced by the distance of plant- 

 ing. Some fruit will be secured the third year but a full crop will 

 not be produced until the fourth year. Black currants usually 

 yield slightly less than the reds. 



Costs are difficult to determine, depending on value of land, cost 

 of manure and fertilizer, amount of labor required both to grow 

 and to market the crop, and the character of the market. Mr. 

 Samuel Fraser, Geneseo, N. Y., reports that the cost of growing 

 and selling a three-ton crop of currants is in the neighborhood of 

 $200 per acre. 



