Pertaining to insects and diseases, I spray my currants twice for the currant worm with arsenate of lead at the rate of two pounds to fifty gallons of water.

I also use hellebore (dry powdered form), especially valuable in destroying the worms when berries are almost ready for market, and on which it is dangerous to use arsenical poisons.  I never was troubled with the currant worm cane borer.  I attribute the absence of this dreaded insect to my keeping all old wood cut out, which is generally infested with it.

As to varieties I planted the following:  Wilder, Victoria, Prince Albert, Red Cross, Diploma and White Grape.  The Wilder is the best commercial berry, very productive and large, while the Diploma is one of the largest fruited varieties in existence, its main drawback consisting of a straggling habit of growth which requires either tying up the branches or pruning back somewhat short.

The Prince Albert is late and can be recommended for commercial use.  Victoria is a prolific bearer, fair size fruit and requires little pruning.  Red Cross is large fruited, but shy bearer.  The White Grape meets with little demand as a market berry, fine to eat out of hand and an excellent table berry.

I also planted a few Black Champion; have not grown it long enough to know definite results.

The demand for black currants is limited, but the prices are fair.  As to picking would say we pick them when not quite ripe, as the average housewife claims they jell better than when over-ripe.  They must be picked by the stem and not stripped off—­all defective, over-ripe and bruised berries should be eliminated at the picking.

When the box is being filled a few gentle raps should be given to settle the clusters into place, as they shake down considerably.  All the conveniences and same character of boxes and crates used in handling of other small fruits are equally adapted to the currant.

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Welcome the thrushes—­these birds do the farmer little harm and much good.—­That thrushes—­the group of birds in which are included robins and bluebirds—­do a great deal of good and very little harm to agriculture is the conclusion reached by investigators of the United States Department of Agriculture who have carefully studied the food habits of these birds.  Altogether there are within the limits of the United States eleven species of thrushes, five of which are commonly known as robins and bluebirds.  The other six include the Townsend solitaire, the wood, the veery, the gray-cheek, the olive-back, and the hermit thrushes.—­U.S.  Dept. of Agri.

Report of Committee on Examination of Minnesota State Fruit-Breeding Farm for the Year 1915.

Dr. O. M. Huestis, Minneapolis; Frank H. Gibbs, st. Anthony park.