THE SMALL FRUITS OF NEW YORK 297 



this Station Versailles has a longer bunch, darker fruit, and less tendency to "go blind," 

 that is, to lack the terminal bud, than Cherry. Versailles was originated by M. Bertin. 

 Versailles, France, presumably from seed of Cherry, about 1835. The variety was brought 

 to America nearly three-quarters of a century ago. In 1862 the American Pomological 

 Society added it to its list of recommended fruits. 



Plants vigorous, large, upright to spreading, healthy; young shoots numerous, with a 

 tendency to "go blind " near the terminal, rather thick and somewhat brittle; leaf -buds 

 medium in size and length, pointed, lean, glabrous, appressed; leaves medium to large, 

 with obtuse lobes, deeply cordate at the base, medium in thickness and color, dull, rugose, 

 glabrous, with crenate margins ; petiole of average length and thickness, green, pubescent. 

 Flowers early midseason, in long, few-flowered, loose, drooping clusters; caly.x-tube green, 

 with faint red, saucer-shaped, glabrous; caly.K-lobes broadly obtuse, pale green, with very 

 slight red; petals often notched; ring well developed, fleshy, greenish. Fruit early mid- 

 season; clusters short to medium, loose, 10-16 berries, drooping; cluster-stems short to 

 medium, slender; berry-stems medium to rather long, slender; berries variable in size, 

 medium to large, round, dark red; skin smooth, thin, tough, translucent; flesh very juicy, 

 subacid to sprightly; quality good. 



Victoria, i. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 4gi. 1869. 



May's Victoria. 2. Card. Chron. 607. 1842. 3. Mag. Hort. 13:392, fig. 32. 1847. 



Houghton Castle. 4. Card. Chron. 717. 1847. 5. IbiJ. 3rd Ser. 62:205. 1917. 



Raby Castle. 6. Card. Chron. 619. 1847. 7. Ibid. 3rd Ser. 62:205. 1917. 



Queen Victoria. 8. Card. Chron. 812. i860. 



Red Grape. 9. Horticulturist 21: 2-]:^. 1866. 



Wilmot's Red Grape. 10. Thomas Ajm. Fruit Cult. 537. 1875-85. 



New Red Dutch. 11. Bunyard Cat. 22. 191 5-16. 



Were it not for the fact that the berries are small and ripen rather unevenly, Victoria 

 would hold high rank among cultivated currants. The plants are exceedingly vigorous and 

 productive, and the fruits are among the best in quality and possibly keep longer on the 

 bushes than those of any other variety. The plants are rather more resistant to currant 

 borers than those of other varieties, and are very free from most other insects and diseases 

 as well; they are, however, susceptible to scalding in hot weather. In Canada it is found 

 that Victoria is hardier than most other standard currants. The variety has the peculiarity 

 of holding its foliage very late in the fall. More confusion exists in the identity of this 

 currant than with almost any other sort. So many varieties have been sold under the 

 various names appearing above that it is almost hopeless to straighten out the tangle. 

 From various accounts it appears that the variety originated about 1 800 on an estate known 

 as Houghton Castle, near Hexam, Northumberland, England, having been discovered by 

 Robert Charlton, a nurseryman's apprentice. Charlton later sold the new currant under 

 the name Houghton Castle. About 1840, a Mr. May, Ripon, Yorkshire, England, adver- 

 tised a currant imder the name May's Victoria, which he had procured from gardens at 

 Raby Castle, and which had been known there as Raby Castle. Later Mr. May identi- 

 fied his Victoria with Chariton's Houghton Castle and upon investigation found that the 

 Houghton Castle had once been sent to Raby Castle, where it had been renamed. While 



