VARIETIES OF CURRANTS 443 



cent; texture firm, juicy; flavor sour, highly flavored; quality good for 

 dessert purposes; seeds of medium size, numerous. 



703. Red Cross. — This variety is hardly above the ordinary, 

 and is excelled by several others of the large-fruited currants. 

 Moreover, in the Hudson River Valley, where it was at one time 

 rather largely planted, the berries crack badly. Red Cross origi- 

 nated with Jacob Moore, Attica, New York, in 1894. 



Plants large, vigorous, spreading, dense, fairly productive. Leaves large, 

 milky -green, held nearly flat. Flowers midseason; type of E. sativum. 

 Fruit midseason ; cluster of medium length, tips filled poorly ; 

 berries large, round, bright red; flesh red, juicy flavor mild 

 subacid; quality good; seeds large, numerous. 



704. Red Dutch (Fig. 261) is now generally dis- 

 carded in eastern commercial plantations, but is 

 grown in the Middle West. The variety is passing 

 from cultivation by reason of the small berries, 

 which, however, are excellent in quality. It is an 

 old European sort. 



Plants large, vigorous, upright, very productive ; canes 

 and shoots slender. Leaves rather large, dull green, soft, 

 hairy beneath. Flowers midseason, of B. rubrum type. 

 Fruit early; cluster long, slender, 10-18 berries, cling well, 

 small, round, bright red; flesh red, juicy, firm, sprightly; 

 quality of the best; seeds medium in size and number. 



Fig. 261. Red 



705. Ruby. — Two currants are sold under this Dutch. 



name, one an early and the other a late sort. Plants 

 on the grounds of the New York Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion, Geneva, New York, secured from the originator, Jacob 

 Moore, Attica, New York, show the early sort to be the true 

 Ruby. Neither fruit nor plant recommends the variety very 

 highly. It was introduced about 1895. 



Plants dwarfish, upright, medium in vigor and productiveness. Leaves 

 rather large; upper surface yellow-green; lower surface milky-green, pubes- 

 cent. Fruits early; clusters short, tips well filled, 10-12 berries; berries 

 of medium size, uniform, round, dark red; flesh firm, medium juicy, rich, 

 sprightly; quality very good; seeds numerous, medium in size. 



706. Versailles is now giving way to newer and better cur- 

 rants. There are other large-fruited sorts with larger and more 



