( IIAPTER XLIV. 

 BLACK CURRANT CUTTINGS. 



Ill a truil-growing tour I made in thf 

 West of England this spring (1921), tho 

 finest young black currant plants 1 saw 

 were at Hilltop, Ledbury, Herefordshire. 

 Mr. H. S. W. Bickham has kindly, at my 

 request, given me an account of his method 

 of raising his young jilants, which is as 

 follows: — The cuttings are taken towards 

 the end of October (whenever possible), 

 while the foliage is still on them. The 

 cuttings are cut to as near 8 inches as 

 possible. The land is well manured and 

 cultivated previously; a trench is cut out 

 either entirely by spade or with a plough 

 (generally) and the rough side and bottom 

 " touched up " with the spado. 



The cuttings are then placed in, 6 inches 

 being covered with soil and very firmly 

 trodden in; this leaves about 2 inches 

 (roughly two eyes) above ground. 



Or if we are in a hurry the shoots are 

 placed in the trench and then cut off later 

 on at our leisure, leaving two eyes showing 

 above ground. 



Any shoot which is long and strong 

 enough to make two or more cuttings is 

 cut down on planting and the balance is 

 planted. 



The cuttings are placed about 4ins. 

 apart in the trench. We always leave 

 2ft. 9ins. or 3ft. from row to row to enable 

 us to cultivate as much as possible with a 

 horse and Planet Junior cultivator. 



In November or December the moulding 

 plough is run up the rows and the earth is 

 thereby pressed up to the struck cuttings 

 or established plants. 



If the land is clean before planting the 

 cuttings, four hand hoeings each year 

 ought to be enough to keep weeds down 

 in a normal season. 



We do not generally transplant, but cut 

 back the shoots hard every year, and the 

 moulding plough tends to raise the earth 

 round the plants and thereby produce a 

 low " stool" (i.e., a plant without a leg). 



When planting out into a " permanent 

 plant " we always sink each plant about 

 two or three inches below the nursery 

 line. This causes a good " stool " with 

 eyes breaking out just below the ground- 

 level. 



I only grow the true Baldwin now. 1 

 have grown a good many other varieties, 

 but would rather have a Baldwin plant 

 for six years and then grub it for gall 

 mite or reversion than any other for 12 

 years. 



My stock is practically, if not entirely, 

 fi-ee from big bud, and it is " rogued " 

 every year by the simple and easy method 

 of leaving one shoot intact on every plant 

 (all the others being cut down hard). By 

 this method one can tell by the blossoms 

 at a glance, in addition to the foliage, 

 whether the plant is reverting or not; 

 whereas, if all the shoots are cut down, the 

 folia.ge on the young shoots which are 

 thrown up is so vigorous, even on reverted 

 plants, that it is almost impossible to tell 

 a rogue — unless, of course, the plant is 

 badly " verted." 



In addition to gall mite, Baldwins are 

 veiy subject to attacks of " green bug," 

 but this is easily wiped out by spraying 

 at the proper time (i.e., before the insect 

 has grown large enough to be lively) 

 with such fluids as nicotine, Nicotex, 

 McDougall's No. 2 wash with Polvo or 

 their Katakilla. 



In addition to j)it or old yard manure, 

 we largely use soot (up to 3 tons per 

 acre) and meat meals. Lime is also added 

 at not less than 2 tons per acre at an 

 application. 



Many growers cut their cuttings 12ins. 

 in length (some even up to 15ins.), sinking 

 them into the ground 9 or 10 or 12 ins. We 

 have found on this soil that at these 

 lengths the roots are liable to be concen- 

 trated towards the bottom of the plants 



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