The Jennings daily record., 1902-07-07

years been neglected, Mr.. Black, like
many busy men, feeling that it would
not pay to do anything with them as
currant worms came each year. Be
fore the days of these pests the bushes
had been very fine, bearing the large
variety of cherry currants. There
were twenty-five bushes in each row,
and Alice's brave heart sank a little
when She looked at the two long rows.
But she resolved that she would think
OF only one bush at a time.
She shook the money out Of the
bank where she had been saving five
cent pieces for a long time, and found
that she had enough to pay for two
days work, and dollar left for the
hailebore that must be used for the
currant worms. She knew, referring
to ner article, that that this would be
ample for the two or three separate
dosings required.
Early in May came the currant
worms, and then two pounds of white
helllebore were bought, costing twenty
five cents pound, and it proved to be
enough.
BE very careful, Alice" said her
mother, mot to leave any Of that poi
son about where the dog or cat can
get it,
II am going to fix it right in the
watering-pot, just as P. N. says in
her notes. then when use one pOtful
l will mix another. Tom says he will
bring me down some pals Of water,
and 1 am going to pay him cent a
pail Don't you think he will get very
rich?"
1t took about an hour to poison all
the bushes, and Alice found that 1t
saved time to mix two watering-pot-
fuls and let one stand, taking pains to
cover it, while she used the other. Be-
fore the currants turned red they re-
quired another poisoning. BY the
fourth of July they were beginning to
ripen fast, and on that day Alice
picked the first boxfuls. Between the
last poisoning and the ripening there
had been many showers, so the fruit
washed clean and no one felt afraid
OF the poison, which had not been ap
piled very strong, a small tablespoon
full to gallon of water.
When Alice asked her father for the
currant bushes, she had proposed to
give the family all it wanted to use
before selling any, and she did so.
All the strawberry boxes in the house
were collected, and some of the neigh
bors sent over their boxes, too, as
they had no use for them, and in
strawberry season they accumulated so
fast.
"See what stack Of boxes!" cried
Alice, 81 wonder if shall have enough
currants to fill all these!"
She enjoyed picking the fruit and it
looked very handsome in the shallow
tray in which she could set six heaped
boxes. It had been such long time
since anyone had grown currants in
any quantity, that Alice found quick
sale for all the fruit she could spare.
and Mrs. Black made many tumberfuls
Of beautiful currant jelly for use in
the wi-.ter.
The currant bushes had been too
long neglected to bear very heavily
this first year after being rescued, but
Alice made five dollars clear, and felt
that she had well begun on her grad
uating dress fund. She had read, how
ever that currant bushes should have
very heavy dressing in the fall to in
duce them to bear we'll, and she pom
dered some time how she could OBJ
tain this, but when her father asked
her one day what she wanted for a
birthday present she laughed and
said, "Some dressing to put around
my currant bushes" Her father at
the suitable time saw that this re-
quest was granted. The next year was
much more successful, and the next
found the once ill-treated currant bush
es grown enormously, and producing
two hundred quarts Of fine fruit, which
at ten cents quart swelled the grad
uating fund so considerably that Alice,
as she had so earnestly hoped to DO,
was able to pay for everything con-
nected with that day with her own
money.
"Now," said Alice the next day aft
er graduation, 81 am going to write
to P. n. and tell her how much her
notes have helped one girl" Eliza
beth Robinson in Ohio Farmer.