Gathering and Marketing 275 



also be readily trained against a wall. It is said that 

 especially fine fruit may be obtained on a north wall. 

 They have even been grafted, from time to time, in order 

 to secure standard or tree forms. Ribes odoratum is the 

 stock most commonly used for this purpose. These 

 methods were chiefly in vogue early in the horticultural 

 development of our own country, but are now little used. 

 The demand for the currant is not such as to warrant 

 fancy methods in the hope of a fancy product. Good 

 care, liberal feeding and frequent renewal of the bearing 

 wood are all that conditions warrant, except as a pastime. 



GATHERING AND MARKETING 



The currant, like other small fruits, should be picked 

 only when dry. Although a firm fruit, which stands ship- 

 ment well when properly treated, it will quickly spoil 

 if gathered and packed when wet. Much care is needed 

 to prevent pickers from crushing the berries or tearing 

 them from the stems. It is far easier to grasp a cluster 

 and give it a pull than it is carefully to sever the stem. 

 Only the strictest vigilance will insure proper care in the 

 work. This is written with a distinct remembrance of the 

 work of some Irish girls, who thought it much more con- 

 venient to strip the berries from the clusters and throw 

 them into the middle of the baskets loose, than to pick 

 the stems at all. All such berries will quickly spoil; the 

 juice which exudes from them will soon render the others 

 wet and sticky and a general collapse of the whole package 

 will result. Varieties like the Fay, which have more clear 

 space of stem at the base of the clusters, have a distinct 



