NOTES ON CUBRANTS, RASPBERRIES, ETC. 



265 



who love the study of nature, will fail to i various kingdoms, to be found within the 

 examine, whenever they have the opportu- walls of the Academy of Sciences in Phila- 

 nity, the extraordinary representation of her ] delphia. — Ed,] 



NOTES ON CURRANTS, RASPBERRIES, &c. 

 BY WM. R. PRINCE, FLUSHING, L. J. 



In the Gardener's Journal, (English,) an ar- 

 ticle has recently appeared, suggesting that 

 improvements might be made in the Cur- 

 rant, the Kaspberry, and even in the Goose- 

 berry, by seminal reproduction. The edi- 

 tor also quotes from the " Midland Florist," 

 an article written by Mr. Tomlinson. If 

 these two articles referred to, furnish a fair 

 criterion as to what has as yet been done in 

 England, in regard to the Currant, viz. that 

 seeds of the finest varieties have been saved 

 the present season, destined for next spring's 

 sowing, I have to state in behalf of our 

 own country, that we are in the advance. I 

 have plants a year old, of the leading varie- 

 ties of which he speaks, and also of some 

 equal to the largest he enumerates, which 

 he does not possess, and probably knows 

 not of, as they are not enumerated in the 

 latest Catalogue of the London Horticultu- 

 ral Society, nor in any other English publi- 

 cation. One of them is a white variety, 

 with larger fruit than any red one that has 

 come under my observation ; and another 

 is a white variety, second only to it in size, 

 and very remarkable for its mild and plea- 

 sant flavor. 



About five years ago, I took the pains to 

 obtain a few plants of every variety of 

 Currant and Raspberry in Europe, by what- 

 ever name called, and they have been for 

 three years in bearing. Mr. Knight's im- 

 provement of the Currant was but trivial, 

 because he selected an inferior variety to 

 begin icith, and he appears to have been 

 totally ignorant of the existence of the 

 Vol. ii. 34 



very superior varieties, then much cultiva- 

 ted in some parts of Europe. I have milder 

 varieties than his '• Sweet Currant," that 

 had existed in Europe for more than fifty 

 years previous to the commencement of his 

 seminal operations. 



In our own improvement of the Currant, 

 (and of the Gooseberry also,) I trust that 

 the several native species will receive me- 

 rited attention. Mr. Tomlinson, in his re- 

 ference to May's Victoria Currant, speaks 

 of it as having been extolled to him, and 

 " as a fine sort to save seeds from." Such 

 is not the case. When, about four years 

 ago, I read the announcement, that May's 

 Victoria Currant had been exhibited by 

 him, before the London Horticultural So- 

 ciety, the berries measuring half an inch 

 in diameter, I immediately purchased a 

 £1 sterling note, and enclosed it to him, 

 asking him to send its value in plants to a 

 friend in London, who forthwith transmit- 

 ted them to me. I have since purchased 

 about 150 plants, 18 of which I planted 

 out for myself. All the plants sent to me 

 have been so small, that I have not had a 

 fair crop of fruit until the present season. 

 I am totally disappoirited in regard to it. 

 The fruit is no larger than the old Eed 

 Dutch, with which it is perhaps identical, 

 or a seedling, with no essential variation 

 from that old kind. The fruit which mea- 

 sured a half inch in diameter, must have 

 been enlarged by the same process as is 

 practised with gooseberries ; which is by 

 first stimulating the plants by powerful ma- 



