84 . FRUIT AND ITS CULTIVATION. 



base, and the leading ones to 6 or 8in., according to their 

 vigour. Old and weak growths should also be cut out, 

 and the centre of the bush kept as open as possible. 

 Cordons should be treated similarly as regards their 

 laterals ; the leader, however, must be shortened to ift. 



Black Currants merely require to have old and ex- 

 hausted wood freely cut away, also the two-year-old shoots 

 thinned out, preserving the previous year's shoots to yield 

 fruit. See that the centre of the trees is kept open. 

 Those grown against walls or fences should also have the 

 two-year-old growths cut out, nailing all the new wood 

 in to the wall or fence. The aim should be to have a 

 Black Currant bush bristling with new wood. The latter 

 must not be shortened, but left its full length. Prune as 

 soon as the leaves fall. 



Pests. The chief kinds are the Currant Aphides, which 

 infest the points of the shoots; the larvae of the Currant 

 Clearwing Moth and the Currant Shoot Moth, that bores 

 into the pith of the shoots ; the larvae of the Currant Saw- 

 fly and the Gooseberry Moth, which feed on the foliage ; 

 and the Woolly Currant Scale that infests the branches. 

 There is also the Black Currant Bud Mite, which causes 

 the buds to become swollen and deformed. See chapter 

 on "Pests." 



Diseases. The Currant Anthracnose ; the Currant Coral 

 Spot; and the Currant Leaf Spot are the chief diseases 

 that attack Currants. See chapter on " Diseases " further 

 on. 



Varieties of Black Currants. 



Following are the best sorts of Black Currants : 



Baldwin's Black. A robust-growing and free-cropping 

 variety. Berries, large. Bunches, medium-sized. Fla- 

 vour, sweet. Suitable for garden culture. 



