HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 53 



president of this society, and the result was there were sent up 

 from among those ashes many young shoots which did remarkably 

 well. They went on bearing much to the disappointment of the 

 owner, and pleasantly disappointed every body. 



Mr. Barrett. Is it not an antidote for the currant parasite? 



Dr. Frisselle. I don't think I would say that. I think all vege- 

 tation that is in vigorous, active condition, resists all parasites and 

 resists all diseases more than weak, feeble plants. Perhaps it 

 would not keep off the currant worm, as that is a vigorous enemy 

 that goes almost anywhere. 



A member. What kind of ashes do you use? 



Dr. Frisselle. Use wood ashes only. 



President Elliot. I would ask the doctor if he detected any dif- 

 ference in the quality of his currants. If I remember rightly, a 

 part of them were Stewart seedlings and part lied Dutch. 



Dr. Frisselle. They were nearly all of them the Victoria or 

 cherry currant, and a small part of them were Red Dutch. 



President Elliot. Which was the strongest grower? 



Dr. Frisselle. The Victoria, by all means. 



President Elliot. Now, there is one point I want to call your 

 attention to in regard to making currant cuttings. Dr. Frisselle 

 recommends cutting them in the fall and burying them with the 

 buts up. Another way is to have the ground prepared at the time 

 you are making cuttings in the fall, and plant them where they are 

 to remain and grow the next year, so that the tops will just be level 

 with the surface of the ground. In the spring take a light rake 

 and stir the soil a little around the cuttings. This will not injure 

 the buds and it helps much. The doctor said they did not require 

 protection. That has been the usual method of growing currants, 

 but we find in late years we have lost several crops of currants by 

 not having them covered. Those that have protected their cur- 

 rants say they are almost sure of a crop. 



Dr. Frisselle. During the five years my currant plantation has 

 been set out it has every year done well. The snow has some sea- 

 sons been very deep and covered it up. 



President Elliot. The Doctor is very nicely situated. He has 

 very fine water protection, so that he has no danger from late frosts 

 in the spring. There is one other matter I want to call attention 

 to, and that is in regard to ashes. Those who have made the closest 

 study of fertilizers tell us there is nothing that we can use on fruits, 

 strawberries, gooseberries, or anything else, that is a better fertil- 

 izer than ashes. If, instead of throwing our wood ashes in the 

 road-way, we should scatter them over our strawberry beds we 

 would have better crops. 



