FRUIT AT SIM CUE STATION. 



so if early potatoes or other stuff were 

 planted between the rows, the truck 

 would straddle the rows without injury. 

 The outfit would be, of course, a good 

 spray pump, ten or twelve feet of hose, 

 a bamboo extension rod about five feet 

 long, with a drip collar, and a Vermorel 

 nozzle attached. This outfit, I believe, 

 would do rapid and effective work. Cur- 

 rants may be sprayed in the same way, 

 and this is the easiest way of dealing 

 with the currant worm. 



Spray with Bordeaux and Paris green 

 in spring, and there will be no trouble 

 with the worms. It beats hellebore for 

 that purpose ; and there is a kind of 

 rust on the white and red varieties, and 

 a mildew which affects some of the 

 black varieties, for both of which Bor- 

 deaux proves quite effective. 



Several varieties of currants have 

 fruited this year, some three and some 

 two years planted. Some varieties do 

 not bear as early as others, so that to 

 compare them at so early an age, may 

 not do them justice. Some that make 

 a poor showing now, may do better 

 when bushes are full grown. However, 

 I have made a test by way of compari- 

 son ; the fruit was picked when ripe, 

 and weighed. The black varieties were 

 three years, and the white and red two 

 years planted. There were three plants 

 each of blacks, and six each of red and 

 white. 



RED AND WHITE CURRANTS. 



No. of Date of pickin;;, 



pla- ts. Viiriety. ripeninij. 



(i Versailles. July -0. 

 () Cherry. n 



G Fay's 'Prolific . „ 



6 Prince Albert. Aug. 1st. 

 (i Victoria. h 



() U'liite Grape. ,Iuly 20. 



BLACK CURRANT.S. 



.S Sauiulers. Aug. Ist. 



'A Lee's Prolific. Aug. 5th. 

 3 I51ack Xaplcs. 



.'1 Champion. Aug. loth. 



lbs. oz. 



9 S 



13 4 



12 3 



3 ,'") 



2 4 



6 8 



4 8 

 210 



2 n 



2 8 



TKEATMt.NT. 



Sprayed with Paris green just after leaves 

 opcncii ; later, with Bordeaux and Paris green, 

 and given good cultivation. Soil in a fair state 

 of fertility ; rich loam, no clay. 



The Red Dutch was not taken into 

 account, as the fruit is too small, to be 

 of any value. Of the reds, Fay's was 

 the largest. Cherry and Versailles not 

 far behind it. Prince Albert and Vic- 

 toria, medium size, later, and very acid. 

 The three leading varieties of reds, Fay's, 

 Cherry and Versailles, are the most pro 

 ductive, as will be seen by the table. 

 Saunders the most prolific of the blacks. 

 Champion is much the largest of the 

 blacks. 



The three best red varieties gave 

 within a fraction of two pounds to each 

 plant average. It would be safe to as 

 sume that these bushes, when full grown, 

 would yield three times that, or six 

 pounds each. Planted five feet apart 

 each way, an acre would contain 1,700 

 plants. These, when full grown, should 

 produce 10,200 pounds of fruit, or about 

 6,800 quarts, which if sold at 4c., would 

 give a gross return of $272 per acre. 

 Or, if they only doubled their present 

 product, it would give $136 per acre. 

 That would be the present yield of 

 bushes, two years planted. 



Perhaps this way of estimating may 

 be regarded by some, like the story of 

 the boy and the rats, who when asked 

 how many rats he had caught, said, 

 that if he got the one he was after, and 

 two more, he would have three. 



Mr. I'attison told us at Kingston, 

 that every kind of fruit is too plentiful, 

 that planting is overdone in this coun- 

 try, that present prices will not pay the 

 grower. 



I agree with him as to black currants 

 at the prices they were sold at this year, 

 they certainly will not pay. But I believe 

 there is still a profit in the reds, on ac- 



08 



