404 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. 



THIRD DIVISION. BERRIES. 



CURRANTS, GOOSEBERRIES, RASPBERRIES, STRAW- 

 BERRIES, BERBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, MUL- 

 BERRIES, GRAPES, AND FIGS. 



SECTION 8. SELECT CURRANTS. 



The Currant is a most useful fruit, indeed indispensable 

 to every garden, large or small ; it fills a space of a cou- 

 ple of weeks after the strawberries, raspberries, and cher- 

 ries, and before the apricots, early apples, and pears ; and 

 besides this, it possesses such a remarkable combination 

 of sweet and acid, as fits it for an almost endless variety 

 of useful and agreeable preparations, both in the green 

 and ripe state. 



The white varieties are mildest flavored, and therefore 

 better for using in a raw state when ripe. The red arc 

 preferable for jellies, etc., on account of their beautiful 

 color. 



Black Naples. The largest and best black currant; 

 bears profusely ; valuable for jam and jellies. 



Cherry. Very large, exceeding an inch in circumfer- 

 ence, bunches short, color dark red, ripens same time as 

 Red Dutch, shoots stout, short-jointed, and erect, foliage 

 thick, dark green, slightly folded, and bluntly and coarsely 

 serrated. Mr. Le welling, of California, has 40 acres 

 planted with this variety ; we saw the plantation in full 

 fruit in 1870. It is stated that the crop of 1871 was 

 150,000 Ibs., sold at from 8 cents to 15 cents per pound. 



La VersaillaiSC. Similar to the foregoing in all re- 

 spects, so much so as to be supposed by many to be iden- 

 tical; it is generally believed that it is less acid and 

 the bunches a little longer ; a very vigorous grower, pro- 

 ductive, and highly valued. 



