FORTIETH ANNUAL REPORT. 147 



We plant currants either in the fall or early in the spring. While 

 you can plant a currant in May, you do not get the growth that you 

 would if planted the fall before or in early spring. They should be 

 planted rather deep. Cut the tops back to four or five inches. One 

 very iniix)rtant fact is to get six or seven branches started close to 

 the ground. An advantage in doing this is after they have borne two 

 or three crops you can cut out part of the old branches and let the 

 young ones come in to take their place. When we set them out first, we 

 cut them back and plant them deep and the first winter you have them 

 on this heavier ground, plow up to them in the fall and use a cover 

 crop, such for instance as turnips. Do not plow deeply but keep them 

 thoroughly cultivated then prune for the first few years and do not let 

 too many shoots grow. After three or four crops, then begin to thin 

 out the old wood. 



The insect enemies are the currant worm and the borer and a few fun- 

 gus enemies, but our currants stand right in our plum orchard and get 

 the same spraying which is given the plums, which will destroy any fun- 

 gous disease on the currants and then as soon as the blossom falls, 

 we spray the plum tree three or four times with lime and sulphur and ar- 

 senate of lead at intei-vals of four or five days. Our practice and ex- 

 perience have been that to prevent curculio we must spray oftener than 

 usually recommended, and this spoils current worms. Then as soon as 

 the currants are off, we spray the plums for the prevention of rot, and 

 this spraying also has its effects on the currant. We have had no 

 trouble whatever with the current worm, or the scale, or any of the 

 fungous diseases that used to trouble us. The harvesting of the cur- 

 rants is the easiest of all matters. We let them go until the cherries 

 are harvested and then go after them. You don't have to look after 

 the clouds as you do with the strawberries. When you go into a currant 

 patch you don't care whetJier it rains or shines. Then the fruit comes 

 at a time when it is a sort of holiday season in the fruit business and the 

 returns for vour work are fullv as satisfactorv as from anv fruit which 

 you can grow. 



As to the kind of varieties that is largely a matter of the local market. 

 T have seen sections where the Fay was most prolific but this variety 

 don't amount to anything for me however. The Red Cross are very 

 productive, and of a very good quality, a little mild and light in color. 

 The Wilder is perhaps the best all round currant of them all ; not so 

 strong as the Victoria or Red Cross, but good color and prolific. I had 

 patches of them several times where it was utterly impossible to walk 

 down between the rows when loaded. We just had to commence and 

 pick the bushes as we came to them. While the Victoria is not a very 

 large currant, — not so large as the Red Cross — it has a splendid color, 

 is of good quality, and when properly fed give an abundant yield. And 

 then it is a late currant and has the advantage of not being attacked 

 by the borers and brings an excellent price, better than some of the 

 others on the market. The pruning can be done as a renewal system, — 

 the old wood being taken out and the new shoots allowed to come up 

 fronii the side. Any branches that may droop or that may be broken 

 off should be gotten out of the way. 



We begin pruning at any time in the fall and carry it on througli 

 the winter. 



