THE GOOSEBERRY AND CURRANT FAMILY. 345 



all other fruits, should be fruited two or three seasons before 

 they are discarded altogether. 



It is singular to note that the Red Currant, Black Currant, 

 and Gooseberry will neither interbreed by hybridising, nor will 

 they succeed on each other in any way as scion and stock. 

 The same fact is partially true in the case of the Apple and the 

 Pear, of which hybrids have never been raised, although, as is 

 well known, intergrafting is in their case possible, and not alto- 

 gether undesirable in its practical results. 



Ribes intermedium is a hardy shrub, bearing copper-coloured 

 flowers and black fruits. It is a sport or seminal variety from R. 

 albidum, obtained by M. Billiard ('Revue Hort.,' 1867, p. 260). 



R. Gordonianum is said to be a hybrid between R. san- 

 guineum or " Flowering Currant " and R. aureum. 



The following are good seed - parents, as they bear fine 

 fruit and are very prolific : 



Gooseberries and Currants are budded on Ribes palmatum, 

 R. aureum, and R. tenuiflorum as stocks, by MM. Croux et 

 Fils, nurserymen at Sceaux, near Paris ; and in their nursery 

 may be seen a number of single-stemmed specimens of these 

 Ribes, budded with Currants and Gooseberies of various kinds 

 and colours, the results being as curious as they are ornamental. 

 Ribes aureum also forms a good stock on which to bud or graft 

 standard Gooseberries, and, so grown, the fruit gets more light 

 and air, and is of superior flavour to that grown on low bushes, 

 where the lowermost fruits are frequently damaged or soiled by 

 rains. Fine examples of standard Red and White Currants 

 may be seen in the kitchen-garden at Wollaton Hall, near Not- 

 tingham, and so grown they take up but little room, are very 

 ornamental, and bear enormous crops of fine fruit : indeed, as 

 much as 8 Ib. has been gathered from one of these specimens. 



