BULLETIN 222] [APRIL, 1914 



Ontario Department of Agriculture 



FRUIT BRANCH 



Currants and Gooseberries 



E. F. PALMER 



The purpose of this bulletin is to give, in as few words as possible, some 

 idea of the extent and importance of the currant and gooseberry industries of the 

 Province, and the most approved methods of culture for the home garden and 

 commercial plantation. 



Both the currant and the gooseberry favor a northern climate and do not 

 thrive in hot and dry climates. They are a complete failure in the Southern 

 States of the Union and along the Gulf coast. Ontario seems especially adapted 

 to the culture of these fruits and they can be grown successfully over the greater 

 part of the Province. Some varieties will be found tender in certain districts but 

 there are excellent hardy varieties which will thrive well in the lesser favored 

 localities. 



The area cf small fruits under cultivation in 1901 is given in the Dominion 

 census as 8,116 acres, and for 1911 Ontario is credited with 13,940 acres, an 

 increase of 71.7 per cent. This includes all small fruits, strawberries, currants 

 and gooseberries, raspberries, etc. In 1910, Ontario produced 2,019,319 quarts 

 of currants and gooseberries or practically sixty-five per cent, of the total pro- 

 duction for Canada. The production of strawberries for the same year (fiscal 

 year 1911; crop year 1910) is given as 9,386,135 quarts, and of other small 

 fruits 6,841,253 quarts. The increase over 1901 in the production of all small 

 fruits is figured to be 12.4 per cent, or a little over two million quarts. 



A blank form with questions pertaining to currants and gooseberries was 

 sent to the various county representatives and out of twenty-seven replies re- 

 ceived, representing twenty-seven counties, only two reports stated that currants 

 were grown to any extent commercially in that county, and five others reported 

 a few commercial patches. The report concerning gooseberries .showed even less 

 interest, seven counties reporting a few commercial patches. No reports, however, 

 were received from Halton, Wentworth, Lincoln and Kent counties concerning 

 these fruits. 



Every county reported that both currants and gooseberries were grown 

 in the home gardens to a greater or less extent, some counties very little, others 

 quite extensively. Every county with two exceptions reported currants profitable, 

 and with three or four exceptions, gooseberries were also reported profitable. Only 

 about half of the counties stated that the patches were cultivated, pruned and 

 sprayed, and that, not generally, there being on tlio whole a lack of interest on 

 the part of the fruit growers and farmers concerning those fruits. 



From the Rainy Piver District a most encouraging report came, stating that 

 currants and gooseberries have been verv successful where thev have been tried. 



