CURRANTS AND GOOSEBERRIES 83 



any incidental characteristics should be men- 

 tioned, such as a very thick stem, or one 

 of some unusual color, or one showing a ten- 

 dency to be leafy. The peduncles, or little 

 stems on which the individual fruits grow, 

 vary in size and length, and these differences 

 are to be recorded. 



The berries are next taken up. The size is 

 first disposed of, either by the use of some 

 relative term like large or small, or by record- 

 ing the actual diameter, preferably in milli- 

 meters. Next the color is given, remembering 

 that this is one of the most important charac- 

 ters, either from the standpoint of classifica- 

 tion or of the practical marketing of the fruit. 

 The flesh is described as to its color, texture, 

 and relative juiciness. The seeds are some- 

 times prominent and occasionally few, but 

 always to be mentioned as to size and num- 

 ber. The flavor of currants is hardly to be 

 distinguished in any other terms except as to 

 degrees of sourness, yet varieties differ materi- 

 ally in this respect. In quality varieties also 

 differ materially, though no two men might 

 agree as to which one was best. These mat- 

 ters of flavor and quality are liable to serious 

 confusion, and the reader should keep in mind 



