46 CUERANT. 



This infestation is to be found in Eed and White Currant-shoots, 

 as well as those of Black Currant, in which last all the specimens sent 

 me in the past season were found. It is also said to be found in 

 Gooseberry-shoots ; and Kaltenbach, in his ' Pflanzenfeinde,' notes 

 that, according to 0. Wilde, the attack is likewise to be found in the 

 long shoots of Nut (" C'o;-//^i(s-ruthen "). 



Besides the Scottish specimens, samples were also sent me on the 

 part of Mr. Pye, of Knight's Place, Kochester, who mentioned that "Our 

 men have found a great many large maggots this year when cutting 

 the Black Currants. ..." It was mentioned also that they had not 

 observed the attack in Black Currants before. 



Judging by the appearance of the shoots sent me most of them 

 were growths of the previous year, but in some instances they were 

 older. 



Peevention and Remedies. — In one of the letters regarding the 

 infested Black Currants from my Scottish correspondents, they made 

 the following observation as to origin of the attack in their grounds : — 

 "They are a lot bought from a market gardener as rooted cuttings two 

 years ago, and they must have been in his bushes before he struck 

 them. We have decided to clear them all off and be done with them, 

 as we would not keep such about the place." Where this treatment 

 can be carried out, it is the best plan. But where old-standing bushes 

 are attacked it is not so clear what is to be done, as there is difficulty 

 in knowing from mere outside examination whether the infestation is 

 present. It is said by some that the tunnelled shoots are so much 

 weakened that they are liable to break off, but though this may very 

 likely happen after they are dead, and toughness and pliability have 

 dried out of them, it may be doubted whether it would be so until the 

 maggot had gone from them. The unhealthiness of the leafage would 

 be a surer guide, as the caterpillar, or rather the chrysalis, not 

 developing as a regular thing until June, there would be good oppor- 

 tunity to look into the matter at leisure, and cut off and burn all 

 shoots that were found to be infested. 



My Scotch correspondents mentioned: "The maggot is almost 

 always found in strong stems, and cannot be detected without cutting 

 the stem, as to all outward appearance at present the bush looks 

 healthy." 



On the large scale of nursery gardening the operation of taking 

 cuttings would show fairly where attack was present, and in every case 

 where a severed stem was found to be perforated, the lower part of the 

 shoot should also be cleared off to beneath the bottom of the grub- 

 tunnel and burnt (as well as the upper part). The grub might be in 

 either bit, and if left and merely thrown aside in the shoots, might 



