1910] Fernald,— Plants of Wineland the Good 21 
adioyning thereto, and which are vulgarly sold by our Grocers; for 
they are the fruit of a small Vine [Vitis], and differ much from these.” 
But in 1701 the northern Currants (Ribes) were still known among 
students in Scandinavia as species of Vitis (the true Vine or Grape), 
for we find that by Rudbeck ? Ribes alpinum of modern botanists was 
called ‘Vitis, Ribes alpinus dulcis." The common Red Currant (the 
“ Vinbaer" ? of the Norwegians, “ Röda Vinbär” * of the Swedes, and 
" Wina-maria"? of the Finns) was treated as Vitis vinifera Ribes * 
sylvestris dicta, fructu rubro" ; and the Black Currant of our gardens 
(“Svarte Vinbaer" ?* of the Scandinavians) was called “Vitis, Ribes 
sylvestris, fructu nigro olente.” Prior * and Britten and Holland ° tell 
us that the Red Currant is still known in the northern counties of 
England and of Scotland as “ Wine-berry," and the Black Currant is 
also called in northern Scotland “ Wine-berry." And as far south as 
Geneva, where the Red Currant was possibly introduced from the 
North, it retains a suggestion of its old confusion with the Grape in 
its colloquial name, Ratsin de mare.’ 
The use of Currants in making wine, a common practice in New 
England, was also known to the Norse, Swedes, Russians, Germans, 
French, English, and other northern peoples. Gunnerus, writing of 
the Red Currant (‘Ribs of the Danes and Norwegians, Viinbaer 
also of the Norwegians, Red currants of the English”), says: “The 
people of Christiania prepare from the fully ripe berries a substitute 
for wine, but from the immature berries they make a substitute for 
vinegar.” Linnaeus, travelling in Schonen (Skåne in southern Sweden), 
says: “Wine had been made here from the red and white Currants 
1 Gerarde’s Herball, ed. Johnson, 1593, 1594 (1633). 
2 Rudbeck, Nora Samolad, sive Laponia illustrata, et iter per Uplandiam, etc., 9 (1701), 
according to Linnaeus, Flora Lapponica, 64, 65 (1737). 
3''Norvegis praeterea Viinbaer" — Gunnerus, Flora Norvegica, pars 1, 46 (1766). 
4“ Raeda Winbaer. Suecis’” — Linnaeus, Flora Lapponica, 65 (1737). 
5' Wina-maria. Finnonibus" — Linnaeus, Flora Lapponica, 65 (1737). 
6 The Latin generic name Ribes is commonly said to come from the Arabic; but, as 
the name of the northern currants, it probably come from the Scandinavian ribs and 
resp.— See de Candolle, Origine des Plantes Cultivées, 221 (1883). 
7 ' Syec, Svarte Wiinbaer."— Gunnerus, Flora Norvegica, pars 2, 11 (1772). 
8 Prior, Popular Names of British Plants, ed. 3, 254 (1879). 
9 Britten and Holland, Dictionary of English Plant-Names, 495 (1886). 
10 * A Geneve, la Groseille [Ribes rubrum or its close relative R. vulgare] se nomme encore 
vulgairement Raisin de mare" — De Candolle, l. c. 221. 
11 “ Ribes rubrum...Danis & Norvegis Ribs; Norvegis praeterea Viinbaer...Angl. 
Red currants.. . Christianienses ex baccis plene maturis succedaneum vini, ex immaturis 
autem acetum aceto vini substituendum parant." 
Gunnerus, Flora Norvegica, pars 1, 46 (1766). 
