1598 The Cornell Reading-Courses 



At planting. — (First spring.) The plant should be pruned to a single 

 branch, which is headed back to five or six buds. 



Second spring. — Five or six branches are chosen to make the framework 

 of the bush; the others are cut out. If any of these five or six branches 

 have grown too long, they should be headed in so that all are of uniform 

 length. 



Third spring. — The plant is thinned out to the desired form and the 

 branches that have grown too long are headed in. 



Bearing plants. — All wood over three years old should be removed and 

 the branches thinned out if necessary. Heading-in is not desirable and 

 should not be practiced, except when a branch has made such an abnormally 

 long growth that the balance of the top is destroyed, in which case any 

 branch may be cut back to the length of the others. Low branches that 

 touch the ground should be removed, because they hinder the circulation 

 of air and the berries produced thereon would be dirty. A dead and 

 diseased branch should always be cut out. The pruner should aim to 

 secure an open head, keeping in mind, however, that the weight of the 

 berries will bend the branches somewhat. An open head is helpful in 

 the control of disease, since it insures a freer circulation of air and more 

 sunshine. The pruning is usually done in spring, although it may be 

 done in either autumn or spring. 



diseases 



Only the serious diseases and insect pests of the currant are considered. 

 The description of these diseases and the methods of their control are taken 

 mainly from Bulletin 283 of this station and Bulletin 56 of the Central 

 Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Canada. 



Cane blight or wilt 

 This disease is very destructive in the Hudson Valley. It is caused 

 by a fungus, which kills the bark in places and discolors the wood. The 

 canes die suddenly while loaded with fruit and leaves. No definite line 

 of treatment has been established, but the following is suggested: begin- 

 ning when the plants are small, the patch should be gone over every 

 summer and all canes showing signs of disease should be cut out and 

 burned. 



Leaf spot 



This is a fungous disease that is first noticed about midsummer, when 

 small brownish spots appear on the leaves. Sometimes the disease is 

 serious, affecting a large part of the foliage and causing the leaves to 

 fall. 



