CHAPTER XIX 

 VARIETIES OF CURRANTS 



The currant does not thrive in hot, dry 

 weather, and is, therefore, a fruit of northern 

 climates, having commercial importance only 

 in regions where the grains are profitably 

 grown. On the other hand, it endures a more 

 austere climate than other bush-fruits, for 

 which reason, and because of earliness, spright- 

 liness, and healthfulness of the product, the 

 currant plays an important part in the po- 

 mology of northern climates: no less than 70 

 red, 14 black and 5 golden currants have been 

 grown at one time or another in the United 

 States and Canada. Of these, 26 red currants, 

 6 black, and 2 golden currants are still promi- 

 nent in American pomology, and are de- 

 scribed in this text. Compared with other 

 fruits, these numbers seem small, but currants 

 are relatively stable, and improved varieties 

 are obtained only with difficulty, so that the 

 several species are represented by but few 

 varieties. 



The botanical classification of the preceding 

 chapter, accepted by botanists, is based upon 

 distinctions so fine that pomologists will find 

 it difficult to place cultivated varieties of red 

 currants in the several species. Thus it is 

 impossible to make sure whether some varie- 

 ties belong to R. vulgare or R. rubrum. Clas- 

 sification is further complicated by the crossing 

 of varieties from the several species, and by 

 great confusion of names in nursery and gar- 

 den practices. Until a thorough study can be 

 made of varieties of red currants, the prime 

 requisite of which is to make certain that all 

 are true to name, attempts to place them in 

 species are not worth while. The author is 

 forced to be content with putting all red cur- 

 rants in one group, black sorts in another, and 

 the golden currants in a third. 



CHAUTAUQUA. Chautauqua Climbing. 

 The tall spreading growth of this variety 

 led to its being introduced as a climbing cur- 

 rant. The plants are vigorous, healthy, and 

 very productive. The clusters are long, with 

 stems free from berries at the base, and there- 

 fore easy to pick. The berries are large, hand- 

 some, light red, high in quality, and hang long 

 after ripening. It is a mediocre variety with 

 little to recommend it for commercial planta- 

 tions, but sometimes desirable, by reason of its 

 spreading plants, for trellises or fences in home 

 plantations. Chautauqua is a chance seedling 

 found in the woods by R. F. Lonnen, Mar- 

 ville, New York, about 1893. 



Plants large, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense, pro- 

 ductive, healthy ; suckers rather few ; canes stocky, 

 smooth, straight, dark brown, often overlaid with dull 



gray. Leaves ovate, thin, dark green ; margin crenate ; 

 petiole averaging about two inches, pubescent ; season of 

 bloom early. Fruit matures early in July, easily picked ; 

 clusters long, loose, with 15-24 berries to a cluster; 

 stems and pedicels long, slender ; berries adhere well, 

 medium to large, often % inch across, roundish to 

 slightly oblate, attractive light bright red ; skin smooth, 

 thin, tough, translucent ; flesh reddish, medium juicy, 

 fine-grained, tart, sprightly ; very good ; seeds interme- 

 diate in size and number. 



CHERRY. Fig. 260. This old variety is 

 one of the most popular currants for home 

 and market in America. Bunches and berries 

 are large, and, as they are borne on vigorous 

 plants, the variety be- 

 comes one of the most 

 productive of the large- 

 fruited currants. The ber- 

 ries are a beautiful bright 

 red, very large, though 

 not always uniform in 

 size, and well flavored. 

 Defects are that the 

 plants do not sucker 

 freely, so that the bushes 

 sometimes have too few 

 stalks; there is a ten- 

 dency in the canes to "go 

 blind," that is, to lack the 

 terminal shoot; and the 

 short-stemmed bunches 

 are borne so close to the 

 wood that the crop is 

 hard to pick. The variety 

 seems to have originated 

 in Italy, thence it came 

 to France about 1840, and from France was 

 introduced into America by W. W. Falk, 

 Flushing, Long Island, in 1846. 



Plants large, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense, pro- 

 ductive ; suckers few. Leaves cordate, lobes ovate, 

 rugose, pubescent, margin crenate ; petiole 2 inches 

 long. Flowers early, R. vulgare type. Fruit early ; 

 clusters short, thick, loose, 10-14 berries ; stem short, 

 making fruit difficult to pick ; berries very large, cling 

 well, round, dark red ; skin smooth, tough, transparent ; 

 flesh red, medium juicy, firm, mild subacid ; quality 

 good ; seeds large, rather numerous. 



COMET. This variety is listed by several 

 American nurserymen as distinct, but all who 

 have compared it with Fay say the two are 

 very similar or identical. The variety came 

 from England twenty-five years or more ago. 

 It is possible that after the introduction of 

 Fay, an American variety, into England it 

 was renamed Comet. 



DIPLOMA. Fig. 261. Diploma is a new 

 currant rather widely grown in New York, but 

 still on trial in other currant-growing regions. 



260. Cherry. 



301 



