HARVESTING AND MARKETING THE CROP 



569 



tests have been made, barnyard manure has generally been 

 equal or superior to commercial fertilizers, especially with 

 gooseberries. Where manure is applied, from 8 to 10 tons 

 per acre should be used yearly. If plenty of manure is avail- 

 able at a low price, it will no doubt pay to use more, but 

 if cover crops are turned under each year, less manure will 

 be needed. Many growers add wood ashes, 800 to 1000 pounds, 

 and 100 pounds of muriate of potash per acre in addition to 

 the manure. In some sections from 500 to 800 pounds per 

 acre of a fertilizer anatyzing 4 per cent nitrogen, 8 per cent 

 phosphoric acid, and 4 per cent potash are used apparently 

 with good results. 



It may pay bush fruit growers to test the different fertilizer 

 elements, singly, and in various combinations in a small way on 

 their own farms. In the absence of specific experimental data 

 for the various regions general recommendations may not 

 apply and may involve both waste of time and money. 



4. Controlling Diseases and Insects. Leaf Spot and Pow- 

 dery Mildew are sometimes destructive. Among insects the 

 San Jose scale, the currant worm and the currant aphis are 

 important. Follow the control program for the region in which 

 the planting is located. 



5. Harvesting and Marketing the Crop. Harvest currants 

 while still somewhat green for jelly, but for other purposes 

 they should be ripe. The pectin content which promotes the 

 formation of jelly is higher in the unripe fruit. For other 

 purposes pick them while still firm and only when dry. The 

 picking season extends over a longer period than for the other 

 small fruits. Remove the entire cluster, grasping the stem 

 between the cane and the first currant on the stem, taking care 

 not to press the berries. The cluster can usually be removed 

 best with the thumb and two fingers. Quart baskets and 24- 

 or 32-quart crates for general market and 6- or 8-pound grape 

 baskets for the cannery are standard. 



The currant may be held a short time in cold storage, but it 

 soon molds if the air is damp. A dry, airy place is best. 



