THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



395 



yielded 80,000,000 Venetian pounds, only produced 

 61,000,000, ovvins; to a heavy fall of rain at the end of 

 the season. Still this quantity was a large increase on 

 other years, and from before the Greek revolution, 

 when the production wasonly 10,000 Venetian pounds. 

 The quantity of land under culture with the currant crop 

 in Greece in 1868 was about 250,000 acres. Owing to the 

 suddon fall in the price of currants, the Greek Govern- 

 ment reduced the taxes on currants for 1858 from 36 

 to 18 drachmas, or from 23s. to lis. 6d. per l,0001bs., 

 equal to Is. 3d. per hogshead. The receipt of nearly 

 i&l, 000,000 sterling for currants, besides enriching the 

 proprietors of the land and the merchant, must have 

 dinctly benefited the 200,000 inhabitants who occupy 

 the currant district. 



In 1857 a heavy disaster happened to the currant 

 crop in Greece, by continued heavy rains, which fell 

 during the period when the fruit was out on thedrying- 

 grouuds. Only about 4,500 tons of sound fruit was 

 got in, whilst the remainder, about 19,000 tons, was so 

 severely damaged, that a great part was found to be 

 unfit for exportation, and a considerable portion was 

 used for distillation. A joint-stock company, with a 

 limited capital, was formed, under the auspices of the 

 Government, for the purpose of distilling wines and 

 spirits from the inftrior descriptions of currant, and 

 skilled hands were introduced from France and Sicily. 



In consequence of the effectual remedy discovered, in 

 the application of sulphur for pi'eventing the blight from 

 attacking the currant vines, a crop of 18,835 tons of 

 fruit was produced and shipped from Greece in 1856, 

 against 4,350 tons in 1855. As the price averaged 

 about ^45 per ton, the value of the crop in that year 

 was estimated to be ^'817,575. The currants grown at 

 Pyrgos, are generally sent to Patras in small coasting- 

 vessels, and are consequently included in the return of 

 the trade at that port. The produce at Calamata 

 amounted in 1856 to about 2,117,500 lbs, valued at 

 ig24,200 sterling, which was principally shipped to 

 Trieste. The average local prices of currants per ewt. 

 in 1856, were at Patras, ^£2 6s. ; at Pyrgos, £2 ; and 

 at Calamata, £2 2s. 



There was a very large crop of currants produced in 

 Greece in 1858; and although the price ranged from 

 15s. to 25s. per cwt., against 25s. to 55$. per cwt. in 

 1857, still the additional quantity of currants grown 

 more than made up for tlie decline in prices. The fol- 

 lowing was the quantity of currants exported from the 

 Morea in 1858: To England, 24,330 tons, of which 

 3,500 tons were of the growth of 1857 ; to Trieste, 

 1,793 tons; to Germany, 339 tons ; Holland and Ame- 

 rica, each 142 tons ; France, 40 tons. In all, 27,369 

 tons; and about 2,000 tons remained unsold, from the 

 decline in prices and demand, owing to a stock of 

 about 16,000 tons having accumulated in England. 

 This was a larger crop than that of 1851, ueneially re- 

 ferred to as an excellent yield, when 26,128 tons were 

 produced. 



As the cultivafion of the Corinth grape is being 

 attempted in the United States, in Western Australia, 

 and other quarters, it may be well to mention that the 

 blight has been stayed, and the quality improved by 

 the use of sulphur, and training the branches of cur- 

 rant vines on the ground. It is considered necessary 

 to apply sulphur at three distinct periods, viz., 1st. 

 when the shoot of the currant vine is sprouting; 2nd. 

 when the fruit is just set; and lastly, when the fruit is 

 turning red. 



Year. 



THE TRADE IN CURRANTS. 



IMPORTS INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM, 



From Ionian Islands. From Greece. Total 



Cwta. Cwts. Cwts. 



Quantities of Currants taken for consumption sinca 

 1820, and forward : 



Year. 



1841. 

 1842. 

 1843. 

 1844. 

 1845. 

 1846. 

 1847. 

 1848. 

 1849. 

 1850. 

 1851. 

 1852- 

 1853. 

 1854. 

 18.55. 

 1856. 

 1857. 

 18,58. 

 1859. 



Consump- 

 tion. 

 Cwts. 

 189,907 

 196,379 

 254,330 

 284,094 

 309,485 

 358,761 

 331,236 

 380,080 

 433,044 

 405,077 

 454,276 

 362,337 

 186,293 

 171,231 

 156,348 

 226,123 

 255,996 

 384,53] 

 482,425 



Net 

 Revenue. 



£ 

 221.125 

 223.662 

 296,364 

 251,659 

 243,706 

 282 617 

 260,925 

 299,097 

 340,897 

 31.9,030 

 357.852 

 285,303 

 140,707 

 134,851 

 123,125 

 178.074 

 201.599 

 302,819 

 398,007 



The rates of duty were £2 4s, 4d, per cwt. down 

 to 6lh August, 1834 ; £i 2s. 2d. from that date to 6tb 

 June, 1844 ; and 15s, 9d, per cwt, subsequently. 



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