VARIETIES 189 



Harvesting. — The bush fruits usually give a good harvest. 

 A strong, healthy currant plant should yield from three to 

 six pounds of high-grade fruit, and many plants greatly 

 exceed this yield. The currants should be picked when 

 they are dry. They can hang on the vines for several 

 weeks after they are ripe and improve in quality all of the 

 time. They should be picked by pinching or cutting off the 

 clusters. The berries should not be pulled from the bunches. 



The gooseberry usually outyields the currant. The fruit 

 of the gooseberries like the currants can remain on the 

 bushes after it is ripe and improve in quality. 



The greatest disadvantage to the harvesting of the goose- 

 berry is the thorns. However, the thorns can largely be 

 avoided if the branches are lifted up with one hand and the 

 berries picked from the under side with the other hand. 

 The thornless varieties have not as yet proved to be of any 

 great value. 



The currants and the gooseberries are long lived. They 

 will bear fruit for many years, but it is better to set. out 

 new plants every eight or ten years. As the bushes get 

 older the fruit becomes smaller and gets poorer in quality. 

 The plants are propagated so easily and they cost so little 

 that it is doubtful whether it is ever profitable to attempt 

 to rejuvenate a neglected patch. The plants come into 

 bearing very early and will perhaps bear fruit as soon if 

 not sooner than rejuvenated plants and the quality will 

 be more superior. 



Varieties. — There are only a few well-defined American 

 varieties of the bush fruits but there are many European 

 types. The lack of interest, until very recently, in the com- 

 mercial cultivation of these fruits, probably accounts for the 

 scarcity of the varieties as compared with some of our other 

 fruits. In Europe the bush fruits are cultivated extensively 

 and there are many good varieties. 



The most popular varieties of the red currants are the 

 Cherry, Fray, Perfection, Versailliaise and the Victoria. In 

 certain regions other varieties are grown, but they are not 

 so widely planted. The Wilder is one of the newer varieties 

 and is gaining in popularity each year. 



