SCIENCE OF FRUIT-SPRAYING 331 



within them throughout the winter, with the result that 

 the galled buds increase enormously in size without 

 bursting before the normal period, and when the growing 

 season comes are too weak to make proper shoots. 



Spraying seems powerless against this pest, so 

 thoroughly does it entrench itself in the very heart of 

 the buds, and cultivators must trust to their own efforts 

 to keep it in subjection. 



In the days when black Currants were only grown on 

 a small scale growers could and did pick the soil for 

 them much more carefully than they have done in 

 modern times, when fruit has been planted almost every- 

 where. The old-time Currant-grower chose a piece of 

 stiff, moist clay or substantial loam, well knowing that 

 the bush is unsuited to light, dry soils ; and there can be 

 little doubt that if he had made a practice of hand 

 picking and burning affected buds directly they ap- 

 peared, pruning the old wood out of the bushes regularly, 

 and encouraging new by digging and manuring, the mite 

 would never have developed into the terror which it has 

 now become. 



When black Currants are grown on light, dry, shallow 

 soil with little manure they do not make the vigorous 

 annual growth which is necessary to abundant fruiting, 

 and it is then difficult to keep the mite under. Serious 

 an enemy as it admittedly is, it is still possible to grow 

 black Currants profitably without proceeding beyond 

 ordinary cultural methods, such as choosing good soil, 

 pruning regularly, manuring liberally, and burning 

 swollen buds as fast as they show, picking them off 

 singly in some cases and cutting out complete shoots in 

 others as occasion requires. 



The painstaking grower who does not believe in 

 leaving anything to chance may, and probably will, 



