EXrEHIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 023 



spring bei'oi-e grovvtli starts witli comiuercial lime snlplnii' solulioii ili 

 lilted at the rate of one gallon to eight of water. 



Currant Borer. Currants are often attacked by a borer which in- 

 jures or kills the canes. In early summer a blue wasp-like moth lays 

 eggs near the tip of the shoot. The white larvae or "grubs" bore into the 

 stem and then burrow down through the pith. They become nearly full 

 grown by fall, and winter over in the canes. The infested canes put out 

 a sickly foliage the following spring. 



Control. Cut out and burn the infested canes when pruning in the 

 spring. Do not allow very old canes to remain on the plant. 



Currant Worm or Currant Hawfiy. This is a common pest of the cur- 

 rant and gooseberry. A small fly lays eggs on the under side of the leaves, 

 the larvae or ''worms" are at first white, later green with black spots and 

 finally green tinged with yellow. When full-grown they are nearly three- 

 fourths of an inch in length. They feed on the leaves and when nearly 

 full grown are very destructive, and will strip a bnsh in a few days. Cur- 

 rant and gooseberry bushes should be examined often especially the lower 

 leaves where thej' first appear. 



Control. Early in the season they maj^ be destroyed by spraying witli 

 one pound of arsenate of lead powder or two pounds of the paste in 50 

 gallons of water; or calcium arsenate powder, 1 part to 5 or (> of flour or 

 hydrated lime, applied with a "dust gun" is very effective. 



Currant Plant-Louse. The leaves of currants and gooseberries are 

 often attacked by green soft-bodied lice which feed on the under surface 

 of the leaves. They appear early in the season but often are not noticed 

 until much damage is done. The leaves become curled and distorted and 

 the upper surface turns a bright red. 



Control. The insects can be killed by spraying if it is doue early be- 

 fore the leaves begin to curl. Tobacco extract (40% nicotine sulphate) 

 used at the rate of one fluid ounce to 8 gallons of water, in which 4 ounces 

 of laundry soap has been dissolved, is the best remedy. It is very im- 

 portant to spray the under side of tlie leaves llioi-onghly, and each insect 

 must be hit witli tlie solution to kill it. 



DISEASES 



Approved by the Department of Botany. 



(joost'lurrji M'lUlcir. This is a common and most serious fungous disease 

 affecting the gooseberry. It attacks the Eiigiisli varieties especially. 

 It sometimes attacks the American varieties and occasionally the cur- 

 rants. It is first noticed on the young leaves and new growth and then 

 spreads to the young fruits. All the diseased parts are covered with a 

 white powdery substance which later in the season turns brown and 

 thickens forming a dense felty coat over the affected parts. The whole 

 plant may be seriously cliecked or even killed by the successive attacks. 



