used up, I cannot make auotlier experiment until I get hold of one ot 

 more diseased plants, but I think the treatment might be equally 

 successful by cutting off the branches, say, six inches above the 

 ground. 



" Two parts of paraffin easily combine with one part of water when 

 soft-soap has been dissolved in it, the combination forming a white 

 thick fluid like butter-milk. This forms the stock, and may be diluted 

 to any extent, according to the purpose for which it is used. These 

 few particulars I hope will serve your purpose." 



On the 5th of October, Mr. Speir wrote me further regarding the 

 benefit, but still only partial benefit, which he had found to result 

 from removing the infested buds: — "Prior to 1890, I had several 

 bushes affected with the Gall Mite, and could experiment freely with 

 them without running the risk of killing off my stock of diseased 

 bushes, and for several years previous to that, I went over each of 

 several bushes once every week with the most extreme care, and 

 plucked out every affected bud as it showed itself daring the spring and 

 early summer months. These buds I carefully kept, and at once 

 carried them to the fire, where they were destroyed. In this way I 

 succeeded in preventing the disease from increasing, or from very 

 much disfiguring the bushes, but on no plant did I succeed in 

 eradicating the mischief. The most I succeeded in doing, was to 

 prevent the disease from becoming worse, and that was at an expendi- 

 ture of time and patience altogether out of proportion to the value of 

 the crop. It therefore seems probable to me that in spring you will 

 find your efforts in a similar direction have not met with a due reward. 

 It will, however, be interesting to note how your experience compares 

 with mine." — (J. S.) 



In the course of the summer I had had the advantage of examina- 

 tion of my Black Currant bushes together with Mr. Speir, and though 

 nothing I can do in any way can rank with tlie vast scale of observation 

 carried on either at Toddington or Newton, it seems to me that for 

 moderate garden growing, where a great extent of laud has not to be 

 dealt with, that disbudding and destroying tlie buds is one of the best 

 preventives that we know of as yet. For on a moderate or small scale 

 every bush may be thoroughly gone over, and every bud removed 

 without great cost, and we get rid of much infestation which would 

 have presently spread. 



In reply to some remarks on this treatment which I wrote to Mr, 

 C. D. Wise, Superintendent of the Toddington Fruit Ground, Winch- 

 comb, Gloucestershire, he remarked : — " I am inclined to think that this 

 is a more sure remedy than spraying with any mixture ; at all events 

 we have found the pests greatly decreased by adopting this remedy." 

 --(C. D. W.) 



