446 



SysTI':M.\l IC POMOLOGY 



so good as those of several other wliitc vaiietics, and tlie currants 

 are not so attractive in apix'araiicc. 'i'lic vai'icty was sold and 

 strongly rcconmicndcd by the late S. 1). Willard, Geneva, New 

 York, l)c^nnnin<: al)out 1890. 



Plants rather small, spreading, medium in vigor and productiveness. 

 Leaves and tlowers of the 1\. rubrum type; flowers midseason. Fruit mid- 

 season; clusters medium to long, well filled to the tii)s; fruit-stems long, 

 making easy work in i)icking; berries medium to large, creamy-white, 

 roundish; flesh firm, juicy, sweet, rich; quality excellent; seeds medium 

 in size and number. 



BLACK CURRANTS 



712. Boskoop Giant (Fig. 265) is rated as quite the best all- 

 round black currant. The characters w^hich recommend it are 

 very large, sweet, richly-flavored berries, and 

 vigorous productive bushes. The plants flower 

 late, but the fruit ripens early. The crop can 

 be gathered at one picking, and the berries hang 

 long on the bushes after ripening. The variety 

 was imported into England from Holland in 

 1896, and was soon after brought to America by 

 several nurserymen. 



Plants large, vigorous, upright, productive; canes nu- 

 merous, rather slender. Leaves large, dull green, with nu- 

 merous aromatic glands on the under surface; margin 

 coarsely serrate; petiole short. Flowers late. Fruit mid- 

 season ; clusters large, loose, not well filled ; stem long, 

 glandular; berries 8-14, large, cling well, round, black; 

 skin glandular, thin, opaque; flesh greenish, tinged red at 

 skin, fine-grained; juicy, rich and sweet, aromatic; quality 

 excellent ; seeds small, numerous. 



Fig. 265. 



Boskoop 



Giant. 



713. Champion. — This black currant has long been grown in 

 this country, where it is liked for its vigorous productive bushes 

 and large mild-flavored currants. It seems to have been brought 

 to the United States from England about 1880, but how long 

 it has been cultivated in the Old World does not appear. 



Bushes large, vigorous, spreading, productive; canes numerous, rather 

 slender. Leaves large, dull green, pubescent, resinous on the under side; 

 margins hairy, coarsely serrate. Flowers late. Fruit late; clusters rather 

 short, loose, tips well filled; berries 6-10, cling well, medium to large, round, 



