STAT^ POMOIvOGICAL SOCIETY. IO3 



CURRANTS AND GOOSEBERRIES. 



R. H. LiBBEY, Newport. 



(Abstract.) 



Profitable small fruit growing must ever remain in the hands 

 of those who love the work. There are intuitive faculties and 

 perceptions, as well as enthusiasm and study, necessary for suc- 

 cess, and only a small per cent have that appreciation, or are 

 willing to give that study, which alone will sustain effort year 

 after year. 



Much also depends on the variety grown, for the best are none 

 too good. For gooseberries, I prefer the Downing for a market 

 berry ; they are large, attractive, and prolific bearers, but would 

 recommend the setting of a few Industry and Smith's Improved. 

 The Red Jacket is highly recommended, but with me, thus far, 

 has not been a success. For profit, the gooseberry is as good 

 a berry as I know of, the bushes have been known to bear for 

 twenty years and yield a good crop when properly trimmed and 

 cared for, and the fruit always finds a ready market. In 1894, 

 I set one hundred and fifty bushes and in 1895 they bore one 

 quart to the bush. In 1896 they bore five quarts to the bush, in 

 1897 ten quarts to the bush. I have picked seventeen quarts 

 from one bush. 



The currant comes along partly with the raspberry and follows 

 it for weeks ; indeed none of the small fruits will remain so long 

 tipon the bushes without injury as will the currant, and since the 

 introduction of the newer varieties, and the easy way of destroy- 

 ing the currant worm, this fruit is attracting more attention than 

 ever before. If remuneration is the object with fruit growers, 

 they certainly can find it in the currant and gooseberry. 



From recent minutes of the horticultural society, it appears 

 that Dr. Cannon of Geneva, from 1-16 of an acre, sold 15 

 bushels of currants, besides what was used in his own family, 

 and his crop was estimated at 250 bushels to the acre, but an 

 average of 150 to 2CO bushels is an excellent 3'ield. It is evident, 

 therefore that if properly cultivated, large profits are sure. In 

 naming varieties, I should place Fay's Prolific at the head of the 



