220 FRUIT-GROWING 



the fruit is nearly always gathered while it is 

 still quite green and hard, it may be stripped 

 from the bushes by using heavy leather gloves. 

 More or less leaves and twigs will come with the 

 fruit, but this does not seem to injure the plants 

 and may readily be removed by passing the ber- 

 ries through an ordinary grain fanning mill. 



The imported currant worm is the most con- 

 spicuous insect of these two fruits and an- 

 nually eats the leaves from practically all un- 

 sprayed bushes. It is easily killed by a small 

 dose of arsenate of lead, applied either as a 

 dust or in the form of spray. Scale insects will 

 attack the currant with great relish and some- 

 times put an end to it in short order. They 

 may be killed by spraying with commercial lime 

 sulphur solution diluted at the rate of one to 

 six any time during the dormant season. Plant 

 lice sometimes attack both of these small fruits 

 and may be eliminated by the use of any of the 

 commercial preparations of nicotine or by 

 spraying with an infusion made from tobacco 

 stems. Borers will show their presence by the 

 wilting of the canes and the only remedy is to 

 cut and burn the infested stalks. 



There are several minor diseases that attack 

 the growing parts but in most cases these cause 

 but little damage — not nearly so much as does 

 lack of proper cultivation and poor soil. One 

 of the diseases is of interest, however, as it is 



