78 American Pomological Society 



the producer of yesterday has many varieties of different kinds but the 

 grower of today selects only a few of the very best tested varieties, making 

 a speciality of these and a grand success of his business. 



Not for nearly a decade have small fruits been in such demand in all 

 parts of the country as this past year. And the outlook was never better, 

 for this business of growing choice fruits of the best quality, placed 

 upon the market in the most attractive form, carefully graded, as to size, 

 uniform in color, and ripeness, " honestly packed " in clean neatly sten- 

 cilled packages and crates. A wise selection of best varieties— not only 

 in quality — but in succession of ripening, so as to furnish a full supply to 

 our patrons — these are the essentials of success. 



Practical Notes : In the propagation of Currant and Gooseberry we 

 always secure cuttings the previous fall when well mature for early spring 

 setting, these we carefully label, tie in bunches of fifty each and dip the 

 ends into melted grafting wax, or a mortar made of water and clay, then 

 pack in damp sand or moss. Experience shows that a far better growth is 

 made by all cuttings thus prepared than by leaving them to pass through 

 the vicissitudes of winter. All of the bush varieties of small fruits that 

 grow from cuttings always make better plants than the same varieties from 

 layers, better root development, better for commercial and orchard pur- 

 poses. The preparation of the cutting beds should be thorough and com- 

 plete. Have the soil well pulverized and a liberal dressing of old stable 

 manure to which we add I part ground bone, well incorporated into the 

 soil. During the growing season frequent cultivation with mulching between 

 rows gives good winter protection to the hardy cuttings left in the cutting 

 beds, but generally better results comes from storing all yearling cuttings 

 in the storage cellars during winter — the terminal buds, so important, are 

 thus secured by this practice. 



Spraying : We have found that " Bordeaux " applied twice or three 

 times in a season, sometimes in a more dilute form, and other times reen- 

 forced with Paris Green, or better still. Arsenate of Lead, has been very 

 efficacious in controlling both mildew and leaf-blight on currants and 

 gooseberries. Experiments on the worst forms of mildew treating with the 

 following formula were tried : 



I oz. of Potassium Sulphide 

 10 to 12 parts water. 



A few sprayings of this mixture have been very successful in holding it 

 in check and save both foliage and fruit. 



To prevent the blighting of the foliage on Currants and Gooseberries, 

 we found two early applications and one after the fruit had been gathered 

 were sufficient. To prevent Black-tot ^\\ich has been quite prevalent for 

 several years, our best success has come from washing the vines in spring 

 with a weak solution of Copper Sulphate using 13 oz. to 50 gallons water 



