264 Bush-Fruits 



Nebraska it does not succeed well. The plants thrive 

 and look healthy, but are comparatively unproductive. 

 The fruit is but little seen in market, which is probably 

 the result of unfavorable experience. 



The total area devoted to currants in the United States, 

 as reported in the census of 1910, is 7,862 acres. The 

 total production is given as 10,448,532 quarts, valued at 

 $790,431. The Middle Atlantic section leads in produc- 

 tion, with an area of 3,239 acres. The smallest area is 

 found in the East South Central division, which reports 

 only 16 acres. This is followed by the West South Cen- 

 tral and the South Atlantic sections, with 46 and 80 acres 

 respectively. 



The total area under cultivation ten years before, in 

 1899, was 12,863 acres. This shows a decrease of 5,003 

 acres or about 39 per cent within that decade. All small 

 fruits show a decrease during that period but with none 

 of the others is the percentage so great. With black- 

 berries and dewberries the falling off is but slight, and 

 comparatively unimportant with strawberries. Since the 

 currant crop is one easily grown, this seems to indicate 

 that the demand is not keeping pace with that for other 

 fruits. 



There seems to have been a boom in currant culture 

 about 1856, so that American nurserymen were not able 

 to keep pace with the demand. 1 In later years there was 

 but little fluctuation, the demand having been steady but 

 limited. The market for currants is entirely different 

 from that for other small fruits, such as strawberries, 

 raspberries and blackberries. Although a healthful and 

 1 Horticulturist, 1856 : 210. 



