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THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



no way remarkable for size of bunch 

 or berry, and to my eye its colour is 

 rather objectionable, being a pale, 

 pinky-red. It is good, however, for 

 its productiveness and flavour, being 

 sprightly acid, and will suit those who 

 consider Red Dutch a tame dessert 

 fruit ; but I confess I abhor the 

 acidity of all the sprightly kinds of 

 currants, they make me twist my 

 features into such contortions that I 

 suppose if I were being hanged I 

 could scarcely do better or worse. 

 Another capital sort for all culinary 

 purposes is Houghton Castle, which 

 bears prodigiously, and comes late, 

 like the Long Bunched, but in no 

 respect resembles that noble variety 

 either in size of bunch or berry. All 

 points considered, I think we must 

 come back to La Fertile as the best 

 for every culinary purpose, and also 

 for market. 



It is a matter of no small im- 

 portance to select varieties of fruits 

 so as to secure from each group as 

 long a season of supply as possible. 

 To do this, we want early, mid-season, 

 and late sorts. The earliest currant 

 I know of is La Hative, a very ex- 

 cellent continental variety, which is 

 usually ripe before any of the mid- 

 season kinds begin to colour. It is a 

 most excellent variety, fit for any pur- 

 pose, but rather tender in constitution, 

 and hence should have a sheltered 

 position. Grow it on a wall or 

 boarded fence ; this will secure it 

 shelter, and promote its early pro- 

 duction to the utmost. Another good 

 early kind is Cherry, which succeeds 

 La Hative, and is the largest red 

 currant known, but unfortunately the 

 bunches are short. "When thoroughly 

 well grown, the berries of this variety 

 are like cherries, and for exhibition 

 purposes are invaluable. It is, more- 

 over, very good in quality, and has an 

 agreeable acidity of a very sprightly 

 kind ; it is a refreshing fruit, yet not 

 so sour as to cause one to shudder. 

 For mid-season supply, there is no- | 

 thing to beat Red Dutch ; it can 

 always be depended on for a fair 

 crop ; the bunches are small, the 

 berries of fair average size, a fine 

 deep red colour, and the flavour is 

 sweet, rich, and will suit any palate. 



La Versailles is more prolific, and 

 comes in at the same time ; the berries 

 are large and handsome, but it does 

 not equal Red Dutch in flavour, 

 though it is good, and far surpasses 

 in every quality the common red of 

 cottage gardens. The three varieties of 

 Knight's currauts— namely, Knight's 

 Early Red, Knight's Large Red, and 

 Knight's Sweet Red, are in my 

 opinion comparatively worthless. Mr. 

 Rivers describes Knight's Early as 

 " early and very good," and if we had 

 to choose between this and the com- 

 mon, we would take the first in 

 preference to the second. But while 

 such early sorts as La Hative and 

 Cherry are obtainable, we can do 

 without it, for it has no special merit 

 of flavour, or beauty, or productive- 

 ness to recommend it. Something 

 similar may be said of the other two, 

 except that Knight's Large is large, 

 but so are others that are of better 

 quality. 



You see that it has happened here 

 that the latest sorts were put first, 

 but that was because they happen to 

 be the best, and I was aiming at the 

 best at the first start, before thinking 

 of seasons and successions. But if 

 we come back to late kinds, it is only 

 needful to say that Houghton Castle 

 and Raby Castle will take their proper 

 place to lengthen out the season to 

 the very latest. A few trees of these 

 two kinds should be planted in the 

 coldest position you have, so as to 

 make the most of their procrasti- 

 nating tendencies. I shall only say, 

 to wind up this paragraph, that all 

 wise 'gardeners who read this maga- 

 zine — and all wise gardeners do read 

 it — will begin at once to secure a few 

 good varieties of red currants to take 

 the place in due time of all the trees 

 of common red to be found in their 

 gardens. When the better kinds 

 begin to bear, take up all the common, 

 and either give them away or burn 

 them. Do the thing well, and you 

 will never repent ; nay, ycu will often 

 call to mind thi3 word of advice, 

 especially when paid by extra prize- 

 money, and enjoying extra popularity 

 through showing the best red currants 

 at the local exhibition of fruits and 

 and flowers. 



