128 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



loaded with fruit ; the two years' growth may have some berries, and those 

 of this year's growth will be only straight shoots. The bushes will now 

 be as large as they should be, and the two five year old branches may be 

 cut out as soon as the fruit is picked ; and henceforth, by allowing still two 

 new shoots to come up every year, and 1)y cutting out the two oldest 

 branches after the gathering of the fruit, the bushes will be kept young, 

 and bear fine fruit for many years more. Of course, this is only meant to 

 elucidate the general principle. The practical cultivator will know how to 

 modify the above rule for every individual bush. 



Productix-eness. — In calculating the profits of a crop great caution must be 

 used, and casualties must not be forgotten. Although I have seen four-year 

 old bushes that bore nine pounds of berries to each bush, I would not think 

 it safe to put down the average yield of a full grown, five-year old bush, 

 trimmed as above, at more than six pounds. This would amount to 13,068 

 pounds to an acre. The price of common currants in the New York mar- 

 ket, generally very small sour little things, varies from four to seven cents 

 per pound at wholesale, which certainly justifies the anticipation of six 

 cents per pound for cherry currants for many years to come, and this would 

 make the value of the crop per acre equal to $784. 



Expenses of cultivating and gathering. — Half a day of plowing and 

 three days of hoeing, by one man, will clean and stir the ground of one 

 acre most eflFectually, which, at ordinary wages of man and horse, will cost 

 $3.50, which makes four plowings and hoeings cost $14. Picking 13,068 

 pounds, at one-third cent per pound, (about 15 cents per bushel), will be 

 $48. If we allow $27 for manure every year, the whole expense per acre 

 would sum up to $84, leaving $700 clear, of which only the cost of bring- 

 ing them to market would have to be deducted. 



Mr. Robinson continued. — Now, Sir, suppose you take this as the state- 

 ment of an interested nurseryman — a man who is just beginning to make 

 it his business to propagate this new, (that is, new in this country, it origi- 

 nated in France a few years ago) — this new variety of currants. What 

 then ? Why simply this ; truth is immutable, and no matter by who uttered, 

 it is truth still. And so far as what I can say will encourage the propa- 

 gation of this frait I will do it by endorsng every word in that paper. 

 Nay, I will do more, and here say that the statement is not exaggerated ; it 

 is below the fair estimate that would be umde by any sensible man who 

 has seen, as I have seen, the bushes in full bearing. There is one more 

 thing that I will say : there are at this moment tens of thousands of acres 

 of land upon Long Island covered with scrub oaks, worthless to the 

 owners, every acre of which could be made to yield the product and 

 profit set forth in that paper, if some man of means would set the idle 

 men and women of this city to work at the business of growing thou- 

 sands of acres, and tens of thousands of tons of this improved variety of 

 currants, " Glut the market." Fudge ! The fruit can be grown for two 

 cents a pound, and that every family can eat it as a condiment with their 

 bread and meat every day in the year, and can afford to drink a delicious, 



