CURRANT DISHEASES—CURRANT PESTS 
mycelium of the fungus. This hinders 
the ascent of sap and thereby causes all 
the upper part of the plant to wither and 
die. The general appearance is very simi- 
lar to that caused by borers in the canes, 
but when this insect is responsible, a 
distinct burrow will be found and the 
larva, itself, may be present. In fungus- 
blighted canes, neither burrow nor larva 
can be found, but on careful examination, 
especially with a microscope, fine, whit- 
ish, cobwebby threads may be discovered 
in the discolored pith at the point of at- 
tack. 
Dropsy 
This disease causes very considerable 
enlargement upon the young stems of 
the currants, not unlike in appearance 
the enlargements due to crown gall in 
the peach, except that usually more of 
the stem is involved than in the other 
ease. The trouble appears to be due to 
physfological causes and the pruning 
knife may aid cultural efforts. 
European Currant Rust 
Cronartium ribicola Fisch. de Waldh 
An outbreak of this rust has been re- 
ported from New York, although before 
1906 supposed to have been confined to 
Europe and Asia. It appears also upon 
the white pine. No practical means of 
control seems at hand. 
References 
Ohio Bul. 214. 
Duggar, Fungus Diseases of Plants. 
Knot 
Due to a fungus, requires further in- 
vestigation. 
Leaf Spot 
Septoria ribis, Desm.; Cercospora angu- 
lata Wint. 
Leaf spot of currants is referable to 
two species of fungi. These fungi 
produce early spotting and prema- 
ture dropping of the currant foliage; in 
some instances the leaves drop even be- 
fore the fruit has ripened. Bordeaux mix- 
ture applied as per calendar is effective 
against this disease, though late appli- 
cations may render it necessary to wash 
the fruit. For this reason, if for no 
other, the first application should be made 
871 
very early and followed by about two 
more at fortnightly intervals. 
A. D. S&S. 
Powpbery Mitnpew. See under Goose- 
berry Diseases. 
Witt. See Currant Blight this section. 
CURRANT PESTS 
American Currant Borer 
Psenocerus supernotatus Say 
When red and white currants are leaf- 
ing out in spring, some bushes are no- 
ticeably slower in expanding their foliage 
than other individuals of the same vari- 
ety. This is frequently due to the pres- 
ence of stem-boring larve, either those 
of the above beetle, which are white, cy- 
lindrical, and without feet, about a quar- 
ter of an inch in length, or those of the 
imported currant borer, which somewhat 
resemble the above but have a brown 
head and short legs beneath the body. 
The parent of the American currant 
borer is a small, narrow, brownish-black 
beetle, about 14-inch long, with long slen- 
der feelers and two conspicuous white 
spots on the back towards the end of the 
body, and two smaller dots about the mid- 
dle. These beetles may sometimes be 
found in the month of June crawling 
about upon the bushes. The eggs are laid 
in summer, and the young grubs burrow 
inside the canes and do not change to 
pup until the following May. The at- 
tack of this insect, although occasionally 
serious to fruit growers, is only an excep- 
tional one, for the species propagates 
much more freely in the stems of the 
Virginian creeper. 
Remedy 
When currant bushes are being pruned, 
all the wood which is cut out should be 
burnt and if the presence of this insect 
or of the currant borer is detected by 
the black burrows in the centers of the 
stems, such stems should be pruned down 
until the larva is found, so that it may 
be destroyed. 
Corrony Scare. See Apple Pests. 
Currant Aphis 
Myezus ribis L. 
When the leaves of currant bushes are 
nearly full grown, many of them bear 
