228 



THE CA.NADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



We believe also in tropical as well as 

 temperate fruits, and those of all sorts, 

 whether they may be called oranges or 

 lemons from the torrid and tro{)ical 

 regions of California or Florida, or 

 whether dates or figs from the more 

 tropical clime of the East India Islands, 

 or whether they may be limes or ba- 

 nannas, we could still use them and 

 relish them and be thankful for them. 

 But in our endless and varied wealth of 

 rich and tempting fruits suitable to our 

 condition and clime, we are most happy 

 to say, we need never covet the tropical 

 fruit of the southern zone. Our basket 

 of fruit is so rich, so varied, so tempting, 

 so seasonable, so lucious and delightful. 

 Our earnest and best advice then to the 

 people of this whole country from what- 

 ever part of the Globe you may have 

 come, to the high, and to the low, to the 

 rich and to the poor, to th^ male and to 

 the female, to the young and to the old, 

 whatsoever you may be or whatsoever 

 may be your name, use fruit. Give it 

 constantly and plentifully to yourself, 

 to your wife, to your son and to your 

 daughter. Give it without stint to your 

 manservant and to your maidservant, to 

 your ox and to your horse and to the 

 stranger within your gates. We have 

 thus attemjjted to show the value of our 

 native staple-fruits as well as all fruits 

 and some of the reasons why they should 

 be more generally placed upon our tables, 

 upon our dining tables and upon our 

 tea tables and upon our festive boards, 

 for our use and comfort. While we are 

 very anxious to produce good fruits for 

 export, fruits well fitted for the English 

 market, we see at the same time rery lit- 

 tle good fruit placed upon the tables of 

 our peasantry, as though it was perfectly 

 fit and proper for the Englishman to use, 

 hut not good for us. We emphatically 

 teach the contrary. Place it upon your 

 tables in a natural state, in a prepared 

 state, for the meal, for dessert for use 

 and our humble word for it, the public 



health and the public purse would be the 

 gainer. — B. Gott. 



MARKETING CURRANTS. 

 The consumption of Currants, both as 

 a table fruit and for preserving increases 

 every year. Thousands of gallons of 

 juice are pressed out annually by the 

 large preserving houses in New York 

 city. This juice is so prepared that it 

 keeps for many months, and large quan- 

 tities are sold to persons who cannot 

 procure the fruit in season, or do not 

 find it convenient to press it out them- 

 selves. In addition to this, tons upon 

 tons are manuftictured into jelly, which 

 finds ready sale for fancy-cake bakers 

 and confectioners. 



For preserving purposes the old Red 

 Dutch Currant is preferred, and many 

 preservers will buy no other kinds, while 

 other manufacturers are less particular, 

 and buy whatever is cheapest. There 

 is but little demand from grocers and 

 fruit-dealers for this small variety, as for 

 table use only the large " Cherry " and 

 "Versailles" find sale. Dealers in fancy 

 fruits take much pains to procure extra 

 large, selected Currants, and good prices 

 are realized by those marketing a first- 

 class grade. 



The best packages for shipping are 

 baskets containing from eight to ten 

 pounds, packed in berry crates. Persons 

 shipping from a considerable distance 

 find it more advantageous to make cheap 

 temporary crates for these baskets than 

 to send berry crates which have to be 

 returned. The ordinary quart berry- 

 basket answers the purpose very well, 

 and, in fact, is preferable to the peach- 

 basket or any other of that size. 



For White Currants there is but a 

 very limited demand in the New York 

 market. Black Currants, although not 

 in great demand, sell fairly. These, 

 being more solid than the red and white, 



