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name for it distinct from the gooseberry. The 

 Dutch also acknowledge 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 acknow- 

 ledge ourselves indebted to the gardeners of 

 that country for so 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 abund- 

 ance, and which are so much used in this 

 country for cakes, puddings, &c. 



The Italians seem to have no other name 

 for the currants 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 I 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 ; damisens, 

 white and black; filberts, red and white; 

 gooseberries ; grapes, white and red ; green 



