Clje Caiinbian 



VOL. L] SEPTEMBEE, 1878. [No. 9. 



THE CHEPJiY CURRANT. 



This currant has been widely disseminated, and is doubtless to 1)G 

 found in every collection of currants, not only in this Province, l)ut in 

 the sister Provinces, and throughout the United States. Its large size 

 and deep, rich color combine to give it a very attractive and showy 

 appearance, so that it is a beautiful ornament upon tlie table, looking 

 exceedingly nice and tempting; and in the market attracts the atten- 

 tion of purchasers, commanding a ready sale, and sometimes a higher 

 price than the smaller sorts. Yet in point of ({uality it is not equal 

 to the well known old Red Dutch, nor to tlie Victoria, being admit- 

 tedly only second rate; and is another instance of a fact well known to 

 dealers in fruit, that size and beauty of appearance are of more impor- 

 tance than flavor. 



In the writer's experience witli this variety, grown upon a moist 

 sandy loam, there has been a lack of that productiveness which has 

 ji^enerally been accorded to it Those who have grown it on a stronger 

 and heavier soil have not seemed to find so nmch deficiency in this 

 respect. At times, too, it has seemed as though it suftered from the 

 severity of our climate, yet we have met with no complaints from 

 others of this nature, hence we are disposed to the belief that it will 

 be found to thrive best and be most productive on a strong clay soil. 

 Those who find it to thrive well and produce abundantly may plant it 

 liberally for market purposes. 



The history of this hands^jme currant is not withtmt interest. Mons. 

 Adrienne 8eneclause, a distinguished horticulturist of liourgai-gental, 

 Loire, France, received it from Itidy among a lot of other currants, 

 who noticed the extraordinary size of the fruit, and gave it in conse- 

 quence the name it yet bears. In the year 184."i it was fruited in the 

 nursery of tlie Museum of Natural History, and figured from tlie.se 

 .saiiqiles in {\w Annates de Florc cl de Poinone for Fcljiiinv, 1844. 



