872 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



THE CULTIVATION OF BLACK CUKIIANTS FOR WINE 

 IN FRANCE, 



Prof. Decaisxe iu his recent work, the Jardin 

 Fruitier^ publishes a communication from Dr. 

 Maillard, of Dijon, in regard to the cultivation of 

 Black Currants for the manufacture of liqueur in 

 the Department of the C6te-d'0r. 



It appears that the first attempts at preparing 

 Black Currant liqueur were made in 1841, and 

 since that time the manufacture has so rapidly in- 

 creased, that at Dijon alone there are now three 

 first-class houses, producing together 88,000 gal- 

 lons ; six second-class ones producing 66,000 gallons, 

 and at least 20 others manufacturing a like quan- 

 tity. Establishments also exist at Beaune, and 

 other small towns in the same district ; produc- 

 ing in all, 880,000 bottles. 



" Up to the present time the production of the 

 article in the Cote-d'Or has dei>ended upon the 

 supply of fruit, which has frequently proved un- 

 equal to the demand, and has had to be brought 

 from considerable distances. Even in the neigh- 

 borhood of Lyons, Black Currants are now cultiva 

 ted for the Dijon market. For the first few years, 

 when the success of the manufacture remained un- 

 certain, the owners of vineyards confined them- 

 selves to planting Blaok Currants here and tliere 

 among Vines, and by the sides of roads and foot- 

 paths, so as not to risk any considerable outlay of 

 capital or loss of ground. But the manufacture is 

 now so well established that landowners are crop- 

 ping their land with Black Currants alone, the 

 number of plants introduced into Vineyards being 

 also on the increase. The rage, indeed, for plant- 

 ing was so great in 1857 that rooted plants sold as 

 high as $16, and even $24 per thousand. Now, 

 however, price has found its usual level, that of $4 

 to $6 per thousand. The exact number of plants 

 cultivated round Dijon does not seem to be ascer- 

 tainable, the proprietors themselves not knowing 

 how many they have planted. It is, however, pro- 

 bable tliat to estimate the number near Dijon at 

 1,500,000 would be greatly below rather than above 

 the mark. 



" In the Department of the Cote-d'Or, the cen- 

 tre of Currant cultivation exactly coincides with 

 that of the Vine. In fact, it may be said to extend 

 from Chaguy to Dijon, in a narrow zone skirting 

 tlie eastern slope of the mountain chain of the Cote- 

 d'Oi", 18 to 25 miles in length, and from one to 



three miles in breadth. Within these narrow limits 

 are to be found all tlie great growths ot Burgundy 

 wine, connected by Vineyards only producing Vin 

 ordinaire. It is among these, and in land of a 

 similar nature, that the Black Currant is cultivated. 

 Many of the villages producing large quantities of 

 the latter, are noted for the excellence of their 

 wines, as for example — Volnay, Beaune, Aloxe, 

 Savigny, Premeanx, Nuits, Vougeot, Chambollo, 

 Vosne, Morey, Gevrey-Chambertin, Brochon, Fixin, 

 Marsannay, Talant, Fontaine. Leaving this centre 

 the Currant follows the Vine in the valleys that 

 traverse the mountain range toward the west ; there 

 are extensive plantations at Nolay, Plombieres, Ma- 

 lain, Laumes, and Montbard, and others occur occa- 

 asionally in the large and fertile plain which extends 

 from the foot of the Cote-d'Or cliain to the Saone, 

 and in which the Vine is not cultivated. Finally 

 they are to be found in the department of the Saone- 

 et-Loire, particularly in that part of it which ad- 

 joins the Cote-d'Or. Rather considerable planta- 

 tions also occur near Autun and Chalou-sur-Sa6ne, 



Contrary to what might have been expected in 

 fruit with go sti'ong a fiavor, there exist great dif- 

 ferences in the quality of the Currants from dift'er- 

 ent localities. The French liqueur makers easily 

 distinguish them, and carefully reserve Currants of 

 superior quality for first-class liqueur, which sells 

 as high as 60 cents per quart, wholesale. In gen- 

 eral, indeed, wherever wine is good the Currant is 

 also good. By this is not meant the choice growths 

 but 'cins ordinaires, the vines producing which are 

 frequently grown along with Currants." 



The Currants are planted about 4 feet apart, and 

 the after culture consists in hoeing the ground 

 deeply in the spring, and two or three hoeing's dur- 

 ing the summer to keep down the weeds. Pruning 

 is done in the spring, at the same time with the 

 Vines. As to soils, chalk or limestone, with a little 

 clay in its composition, such as prevails in French 

 wine districts, suits very well. 



In regard to amount of fruit, and the price that 

 can be obtained for it. Dr. Maillaed estimates that 

 every bush that has been planted five years, when 

 the land is wholly occupied with the Currants, will 

 yield 3^ lbs. of fruit. The yield on bushes growing 

 singly among the grape vines is much greater. 

 Estimating the average yield at only 2 1-5 lbs. to a 

 bush, i^nd 2,240 bushes on an acre, we have 4,928 

 lbs. as the produce per acre. The average price 

 of the fruit in former years was, in 1841, 80 cents 

 per cwt. ; in 1842 and '43, $1 ; 1844 and '45, $2 ; 

 1856 and '57, $4; 1858. $7.50, and in 1859, from 

 $5 to $7. It appears that some of the most impor- 

 tant houses in Dijon have contracted with growers 

 to take all their crops for 10 or 12 years to come 

 at $3 per cwt. This would give $147 per acre as 

 the price of the fruit. The trouble of growing 

 Black Currants is very little, and they make a de- 

 licious and healthy wine, far superior to what is 

 usually sold under the name of Port. 



