The Canadian Horticulturist. 265 



THE CURRANT. 



GOOD many articles appear, in our exchanges, regarding the 

 cultivation of this fruit, and according to our experience, it is 

 less planted as a staple crop in Ontario than its merits 

 deserve. This state of affairs is probably due to the fact 

 that, in early times, there were in cultivation only such small 

 varieties as Red Dutch and White Grape, kinds which not 

 only taxed the patience of the pickers, but which brought a 

 very low price in our market. Then, too, this fruit was looked upon as unworthy 

 of proper care or cultivation, and was only grown in corners of the fences, or in 

 neglected rows along the garden paths, without proper pruning, or proper atten- 

 tion of any kind ; besides this, many thought that there was no easy mode of 

 routing the worm ; and consequently the currant was the last fruit thought of as 

 worthy of being planted by growers, and given high cultivation as a fruit crop 

 for market. 



But, after some years of experience, we have come to a different conclusion. 

 Given a clay loam, well drained, well worked up and well enriched, planted with 

 such varieties as Fay, Versailles or Cherry, all of which go in to market under 

 the head of the latter variety, and bring a cent to two more a quart than the 

 common kinds, and there is no doubt about the profits of currant culture. 



The saw fly is easily kept down by hellebore ; indeed, were the insect enemies 

 of other varieties of fruit as easily destroyed as this one, the fruit grower might 

 count himself a happy man. 



Often there are portions of ground which cannot be put to good use, owing 

 to the partial shade of an orchard ; but, even in such unfavorable situations, the 

 currant may often be grown with fair success. 



The propagation of the currant is so exceedingly simple that we would not 

 advise any of our readers, who wish to enter into cultivation of this fruit, to go 

 to the expense of buying a quantity of plants from nurserymen. If any neigh- 

 bor has a plantation of currants of the varieties wanted, he will be only too will- 

 ing to part with a large quantity of cuttings, at the time of the yearling pruning ; 

 for these are worthless to him, unless he intends to use them for propagating. 

 If no such opportunity as this offers itself, cuttings can be purchased from 

 nurserymen at a very small cost. If planted in a sandy loam which is a little 

 moist and not too shaded, there will be scarcely any failures. These, after one 

 year's growth, will be ready for transplanting into the currant plantation, and in 

 two years will begin fruit bearing. Five feet apart each way is a very good dis- 

 tance, because the cultivation will thereby, be rendered very simple ; indeed, it 

 will be no more trouble to care for such a plantation of currants, than it would 

 be for an ordinary corn field, for horse cultivation can be in two directions, and 

 there will be very little work left for the hoe. 



