85 
on the Downs, to the native breed of such district, the matter 
will, by no means, appear unreasonable. One more affair re- 
mains to be noticed, and that a serious one ; the Black Currant 
is very liable to the attack of an aphis. Tobacco water, made 
by putting half a pound of strong shag tobacco to a gallon of 
warm water, and freely applying it to the foliage, will certainly 
destroy them ; but this is a somewhat expensive process. Pre- 
vention being accounted superior to cure, we would rather advise 
extra care in the preparation of the soil, as well as subsequent 
culture; more especially to provide against sudden droughts; 
during which periods, these destructive pests multiply exceed- 
ingly. 
302 Red and White Currants. These two varieties of the 
Currant are so very distinct iu habit, that it will be well to treat 
of them separately. In adverting to their culture, at page 37 
of the Auctarium, it was observed, that they prefer a soil of 
sandy character; or, in other words, a soil in the constitution 
of which the sandy principle predominates over the clay. In 
this respect they are the very opposite ot the Black Currant, 
which we described in the preceding section. This much pre- 
mised, we will proceed, first, to lay down a system of culture, 
adapted to the ordinary Red Currant. As observed with regard 
to the Black Currant, it may be propagated by cuttings of 
the young shoots of the previous summer, any time between the 
fall of the leaf, and the end of March. Every bud, on that 
portion of the cutting below the ground level, must be cut out, 
or, as practical men term it, “blinded.” 
The omission of this important item in their cultivation, will 
prove most tiresome, by the perpetual production of a crowd of 
suckers ; a bad habit, which a moment’s attention, at the proper 
time, would wholly obviate ; but if neglected, will only termi- 
nate with the life of the plant itself. The cuttings should pos- 
sess, at least, one foot of stem above the soil, and four buds, or 
eyes, as they are termed, will suffice to form a head. A shady 
situation should be selected for them, and by the succeeding 
autumn they will be such plants as may either be planted in 
their final destination, or according to the more usual course, 
remain another year in the nursery bed. In either case, they 
must be pruned back to about three buds on each of the young 
shoots. We would here observe, that, from the very cutting 
28.3. AUCTARIUM. 
