THE CURRANTS 



A mulch affords an attractive nesting place for 

 mice and in winter they may be driven by 

 hunger to gnaw away the bark of the currant 

 canes, girdling and killing them. As a pre- 

 cautionary measure the mulch should Mot be 

 piled against the plant. It should be placed 

 several inches away and the intervening space 

 should be kept free of weeds and grass, or at 

 least should be cleared as winter approaches. 

 Backward plants may be mulched with 

 stable manure. It improves the growth of the 

 plants and does not attract mice. Some care 

 must be taken, however, not to over-fertilize 

 plants already vigorous. 



Fertilization 



Currants are voracious feeders and respond 

 promptly to liberal fertilization. If a heavy 

 application of stable manure can be worked 

 into the soil before the plants are set, that is 

 the best possible foundation for future at- 

 tempts to bring out the best that is in the 

 plants. Stable manure and poultry manure 

 are excellent fertilizers for bearing bushes, but 

 they must be used with discretion. 



In all rational fertilization it is necessary to 

 watch the growth of the plants and adjust 

 annual applications to the apparent need for 

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