264 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



TuE Currant and Gooseberry — Ribes. 



The currant was formerly erroneously held to 

 be the Corinthian jrrape dea:eneratecl. It is now 

 considered as a native of this country, the red 

 (Ribes rubrion) bein<]^ found growinj^ naturally 

 in many places both of England and Scotland, and 

 the white being merely a variety of the red. Mr. 

 Alton, in his Hortus Kewensis, is of opinion that it 

 is a native production. Its name, however, being 

 the same as the small seedless grape of the Levant 

 {Corinth), is against this theory ; and in ' Dodoen's 

 History of Plants,' translated in 1578, it is called 

 " the red beyond-sea gooseberry." The white, 

 having the most delicate flavour, is most in request 

 for the dessert. The red is principally used in the 

 preparation of jellies ; and the white is converted 

 into wine, which, with fine fruit, and using the juice 

 alone, or only with sugar, without any mixture of 

 spirits or of water, may, when kept to a proper age, 

 be made to equal some of the inferior wines from the 

 grape. For pastry, the currant is amongst the most 

 valuable of the British fruits, being easily preserved, 

 and growing in sufficient abundance, on account of 

 its hardiness, to otier a cheap luxury to the humblest 

 classes. This bush forms the principal ornament of 

 some of those neat cottages which are or were the 

 peculiar characteristic of England; and which it 

 would be wise, as well as benevolent, in the landlords 

 to multiply, if they could steadily keep out of them 

 all who were unable to maintain themselves. In 

 parts of the country where it is the custom to train 

 the currant against the walls of the house, its rich 

 dark leaves, and its brilliant fruit, growing over the 

 latticed window, ofl'er almost as pleasing a picture as 

 the vines of Italy. 



The Black Currant (Ribes nignim) is supposed to 



