224 THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



elsewhere, removing the soil under the bushes and burying it deeply in the trench, 

 the best soil taken out of the pit, along with an addition of rich compost or manure, 

 taking the place of the removed surface soil. 



Another very simple and excellent plan is to firm the soil beneath the bushes in 

 summer, which causes the caterpillars to form cocoons on or barely within the soil, and 

 when the leaves fall they are drawn off along with the loose surface soil and deeply buried, 

 or preferably burned ; the ash may then be returned. A dressing of quicklime and soot 

 is then applied to the ground and pointed in lightly. After the leaves unfold in spring, 

 the bushes are dusted with equal parts of dry soot and air-slaked lime, and this, if 

 repeated whilst the foliage is damp, greatly assists the trees and renders them obnoxious 

 to the saw-flies as well as clearing them of caterpillars. Gas lime must not be used on 

 or near the stems, and, except as an agent in destroying fungoid germs and cleansing 

 foul land of insect pests in preparation for fruit culture, should never be used. Syringing 

 the bushes with bisulphide of calcium, or with clear lime-water, as advised for early 

 attacks of red spider, seldom fails to keep the bushes free of all insect pests. 



In case of severe attack recourse may be had to freshly-ground white hellebore 

 powder, dusting it over the bushes whilst damp with an ordinary flour-dredger. This 

 extirpates the pests, and there is no danger if the powder is washed off with clear water 

 at the end of a week, but the fruit must not be gathered in the meanwhile. Or dissolve 

 1 ounce of size (whitewashes') in 1 gallon of hot water, add 1 ounce of freshly-ground 

 white hellebore powder, mixing thoroughly, and when cool apply on a dry day to the 

 bushes, as soon as the fruit is set, either with a syringe having a spraying nozzle, or a 

 fine rose watering-can. The mixture adheres to the leaves, one application in most 

 cases sufficing for the season, and must be washed off before the fruit is gathered. One 

 pound of white hellebore powder is enough for sixty large bushes when syringed on, 

 but if sprayed on, so as to leave a thin film on the foliage, it goes four times farther. 



Some growers dust the bushes with fine dry road-dust, shake or strike them sharply, 

 and trample the dislodged caterpillars on the ground. Others use narcotics to bring off 

 the caterpillars, such as tobacco powder dusted on the bushes whilst damp, or syringe 

 with quassia- water. Pepper also brings the caterpillars down, and they should be 

 trampled under foot. We prefer destroying the cocoons, giving the trees manure and 

 fresh soil annually, thus securing clean growths and bountiful crops. Cuckoos are the 

 great natural foes of gooseberry and currant caterpillars. 



Other saw-fly caterpillars feed on the leaves of gooseberries, and, though widely 



