Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1877 — Agricultural Deportment. [ARTICLE]

Agricultural Deportment.

Death to the Carrant Worm. The destruction of currant bushes for years past by worms has been the means of enhancing the price of that very valuable fruit in most markets, while with a little care it can lie cheaply protected. It is a well-known fact that white hellebore is sure death to the currant worm, but at the same time many will not try it, while others apply it in such away that it is soon washed off by rains, or only couches the tops and outside leaves, leaving the inside of the bunch of bushes for the worms to feed upon. The whole secret is to apply it on the under side of the leaves, where the worm 9 fasten to eat. To do this I take a piece of cotton cloth that the powder will shake through sparingly, about ten inches square; put in about four ounces of the powder, and gather it up around the end of a stick about three feet long, and tie it on, making a sort of bag at the end. I then make the application in the morning before the dew is off by opening the bunches of bushes and putting the bag, end down, nearly to the bottom and shaking it, the current of air is then upward, and the leaves being damp, the powder then sticks to the under side. If the cur. rent of air is a little sidewavs, shake low on the wind side, on the outside of the bunch of bl ushes. It is not best to wait the appearance of the worm, but doctor the bush as soon as theblossoms are well developed and the leaves are halt’ or t ynt? thirds grown, and again after the fruit has fairly set. This will usually do the work for the season. The main point is to rightly apply the helleebore, and with these hints and a careful attention, with the use of a little judgment, tlie currant bush can be preserved. We have a row about six rods long that we'have preserve! 1 for over twelve years in tine, healthy condition, producing from sls to S2O yearly besides what we use, at a cost of care not to exceed $1 per rod. — Rural New Yorker.