206 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. [Pub. Doc. 



The cane girdler is a small brown insect that lays its eggs 

 in the young tender shoots, and then makes a row of inci- 

 sions on a circle above where the eggs are laid. This causes 

 the cane to break off and wither, and thus the young are 

 supplied with more abundant food. The larvte eat into the 

 cane, feeding on the pith, like the cane borer. 



The currant worm insect is a small saw fiy that lays 

 pearly-white eggs along the midribs and veins of the currant 

 and gooseberry leaves very soon after they have unfolded. 

 These soon hatch, and eat small round holes in the leaf, 

 coiling themselves on the edges of these holes. They feed 

 very rapidly, and in a few days reach full growth, when 

 they leave the denuded bushes and make their cocoons, to 

 come out in a short time to lay a second brood of esfffs. 

 The first brood are generally found on gooseberr}^ bushes, if 

 any are growing near the currant bushes ; and by treating 

 those alone the labor of destruction is much reduced. 



For the currant borer and cane girdler no remedy has been 

 discovered save that of cutting off the injured canes and 

 burning them. 



The currant worm is easily destroyed by dusting with Paris 

 green up to the time the fruit is half grown ^ after which it 

 will not he safe to use it. A safer remedy is to dust the 

 bushes with powdered hellebore when they are wet, or apply 

 it in water, one tablespoonful to a gallon. After the fruit is 

 nearly ripe it may be safer to use the pyrethrum or Persian 

 insect powder, applied just before night. 



The gooseberry mildew or rust attacks this fruit often, and 

 sometimes the currant, both leaf and fruit, giving them a 

 powdery or mealy appearance. It is especially injurious in 

 closely planted gardens. 



The leaf s])ot attacks the leaves of the currant, first ap- 

 pearing as small brown spots, in July or August. If these 

 spots are numerous enough, the leaves turn yellow and fall 

 off, leaving the bushes bare the rest of the season, and seri- 

 ously checking their growth. 



These two diseases are prevented by the Bordeaux mixture, 

 applied thoroughly : firsts as soon as the leaves are fully 

 formed; secon'l, as soon as the fruit has set; third, as soon 

 as the fruit has been gathered. If the anthracnose or leaf- 



