CURRANT. 13| 



ledge it not to have been indigenous to Holland, where it 

 was called besskins over zee. Whether the Dutch first 

 procured this fruit from Britain, or from any other 

 northern countries, we must acknowledge ourselves in- 

 debted to the gardeners of that country for improving the 

 size, if not the flavour, of this fruit. 



The English name of currant seems to have been taken 

 from the similitude of the fruit to that of the small Zante 

 grapes, which we call currants, or Corinths, from Corinth, 

 where this fruit formerly grew in great abundance, and 

 which is so much used in this country for cakes, pud- 

 dings, &c. 



The Italians seem to have no other name for the cur- 

 rants than uvette, little grapes* At Geneva they are called 

 raisins de Mars. The currant does not appear in the list 

 of fruits published by Thomas Tusser in 1557, which we 

 have transcribed to shew what fruits were cultivated in 

 the latter part of Queen Mary's reign. 



" Apples of all sorts, apricots, barberries ; boollesse, 

 black and white; cherries, red and black; chesnuts ; 

 cornet plums ; damascens, white and black ; filberts, 

 red and white ; gooseberries ; grapes, white and red ; 

 green or grass plums ; hurtil berries ; medlers, or meles ; 

 mulberries ; peaches, white and red ; peeres of all sorts ; 

 peer plums, black and yellow ; quince-trees ; raspis ; rei- 

 sons ; small nuts ; strawberries, red and white ; service 

 trees ; wardens, white and red ; walnuts ; wheat plums." 



So little advance had horticulture made in this country 

 even at that late period, 



" That still, a stranger to our trees and flowers, 

 Knew not their name, their lineage, and their powers." 



Currants were not distinguished from gooseberries by 

 any particular name at that period; and even in Gerard's 

 time they were considered as a species of the gooseberry. 



K 2 



