140 OUR COMMON FBITITS. 



as in the case of the stalklets of a cluster of grapes. When 

 found growing wild amoDg rocks or in mountains, situa- 

 tions where it often springs up from bird-sown seeds, 

 even in countries where, as in Britain, it is not indigen- 

 ous, it is a small-leaved bush scarcely a foot high, but 

 under cultivation attains four or five times that height, 

 the leaves, too, becoming at least twice as large. The 

 fruit would seem to attain its greatest size in the North, 

 for in Anderson's " Sketches of the Russian Empire," it 

 is affirmed that on the Altaian Mountains the red currants 

 grow to the size of an ordinary cherry. In the south of 

 Europe it is little known, nor does it seem to have been 

 originally a native of France, the name by which it was 

 formerly known there, Groseille d'outre~mer, evidently 

 indicating a foreign introduction. At the present day, 

 however, the fruit occupies a very important position in 

 Paris, less, however, as -a fruit than as furnishing the 

 popular sirop de groseille which supplies the lady's petit 

 verre, and admits her to a privilege unknown to her sister 

 in London that of finding, in any place of refreshment 

 she may visit, wherewith to slake her thirst at trifling cost 

 and with an innocent and delicious beverage. Besides its 

 cooling influence, currant-juice has also the property of 

 diminishing the secretion of bile. Wherever may have 

 been the birthplace of the plant, it appears to have been 

 in Holland that attention was first devoted to its improve- 

 ment, and it is thence that our principal varieties have 

 been procured ; the English market continuing, too, to be 

 largely supplied with Dutch currants ready grown and 

 gathered. The plant, however, thrives here as well as any- 

 where, and is seen as often as anywhere trained against 

 a cottage wall, its handsome lobed leaves of rich green and 

 jewelled clusters of ruby drops beautifying the poor man's 

 lowly dwelling, while presenting him with a feast whole- 

 some as refreshing. And though the banquet it spreads 

 endures but a short period if left entirely to Nature, yet, 

 by choosing a northern aspect, and covering tthe bushes 

 with matting, the gathering season may be prolonged from 

 July even until December. 



The White Currant is only a variety of the Eed produced 



