12 



THE OANA.DIAN HORTICCTLTDRIST. 



■demand no winter protection, other 

 than is natural to themselves. They 

 call for no special treatment at any sea- 

 son of the year, but yield with an un- 

 sparing hand an abundance of beautiful 

 wholesome fruit. 



The greatest difficulty to be overcome 

 in growing currants of any kind, is the 

 difficulty experienced in getting people 

 to plant them. For once planted it is 

 astonishing how much neglect, and even 

 abuse, they will stand, and yet yield a 

 very fair crop of edible fruit. 



Of the red currant the priucipal 

 varieties now grown are the Versailles 

 and the Cherry. Between these there 

 is very little to choose, both varieties 

 being large in size, quite productive, 

 but somewhat acid even when fully 

 ripe. Fay's new Prolific and Moore's 

 JR/uby are among the newer varieties. 

 Both of these were fruited on my 

 grounds last season for the first time. 

 I am, therefore, unable to speak posi- 

 tively of their merits until I have tested 

 them for at least another season. They 

 are both large in size, and it is claimed 

 that they are more productive than the 

 other varieties ; and furthermore, it is 

 said of Moore's Ruby that it is not so 

 acid when ripe as the older improved 

 sorts. But notwithstanding the large 

 size and great productiveness of these 

 varieties, no grower should be without 

 a few bushes of the Old Dutch Red for 

 his or her own use, as what it lacks in 

 size, it more than makes up in sweet- 

 ness and richness of flavor. On this 

 head it, as yet, has no rival. 



Among the whites, the White Grape 

 seems to be in greatest request, but 

 although attractive in appearance and 

 highly prized by the thoughtful house- 

 wife for converting into jelly, still even 

 when at its best, it is too acid to be as 

 highly prized as it otherwise would be. 



Among the blacks, Black English 

 and Black Naples, which very closely 

 resemble each other, have been chiefly 



grown by market gardeners, but latterly 

 they have been somewhat superseded 

 by Lee's new Prolific, which, on all 

 points, is considerably more desirable 

 than its predecessors. But even this 

 variety is now likely to be shorn of its 

 strength by the Champion of England, 

 which nurserymen say is far ahead of 

 anything yet produced. 



CULTIVATION. 



The currant, like any other shrub, 

 will respond invariably to good treat- 

 ment. It succeeds best in a deep rich 

 soil, and when well mulched will yield 

 fruit at least twenty per cent, larger 

 than when not. There is no better 

 manure than wood ashes, although 

 ordinary stable manure answers a very 

 good purpose. One thing in particular 

 has to be carefully watched, and that is 

 for the appearance of the currant worm. 

 If taken in time, and the bushes well 

 sprinkled with hellebore water in the 

 proportion of two tablespoonsful to a 

 pail of watei', no evil results will fol- 

 low; but if neglected, and the bushes 

 are allowed to be stripped by them of 

 their leaves, you may expect nothing 

 but poor and unsatisfactory results. If 

 you are too poor to buy bushes from 

 the nurserymen, go to your neighbors 

 garden in the fall after the first heavy 

 frost, get some cuttings of the present 

 season's growth, merely stick them in 

 the ground where you wish your bush 

 to stand, and in a couple of years you 

 will have fine healthy bushes. 



A. A. Wright. 



BRACEBRIDGE AGRICULTURAL FAIR 



We attended the Agricultural Show 

 at Bracebridge ; were received very cor- 

 dially by the Directors and officers of 

 the Society ; acted as judge in several 

 departments. The fruits were sparse. 

 Duchess apples were fair samples, some 

 others were rather inferior in quality ; 

 there were not many in competition. 



