CURRANT-GRAPE GROWING. 5 



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No trouble is experienced in making this variety bear good annual 

 crops if accorded the same treatment that is given the Sultanina or 

 Thompson Seedless. This probably accounts for its being grown in 

 other than the currant- growing countries, while there is little or no 

 such evidence with respect to the other varieties. 



The vine and fruit of the Red Corinth variety (PL II, C; 

 synonyms, Corinthe rose, Corinthe rouge, Coristano rouge) are very 

 similar to those of the Black Corinth; the fruit, however, is lighter 

 and rosier in color. 



There appears to be no particular difficulty in successfully fruiting 

 the white and rose-colored varieties, whereas no one in this country 

 has been able to grow paying crops of the dark-colored grapes, which 

 are of far superior quality either fresh or dried. This is no doubt 

 largely due to the introduction of very poor strains, all of those that 

 have come under the observation of the writer being inferior and 

 worthless. 



INTRODUCTION OF PANARITI CUTTINGS. 1 



An introduction of Panariti cuttings (S. P. I. No. 6429) made 

 by the United States Department of Agriculture through David 

 Fairchild, its agricultural explorer, reached Washington, D. C, 

 on May 9, 1901. Mr. Fairchild stated that this was " the variety of 

 grapes producing the currants, or corinths, of commerce. These cut- 

 tings were purchased in the village of Panariti, which lies among 

 the mountains back of Xyloncastron. The village is noted for pro- 

 ducing some of the finest corinths in Greece." In Greece crop dif- 

 ferences are not distinguished by varietal names, but by the name 

 of the region in which they are produced ; thus Panariti grapes are 

 those grown in the vicinity of the village of Panariti. 



The above-mentioned Panariti cuttings arrived in Washington on 

 the very day the writer entered on his viticultural activities with 

 the Department of Agriculture, and constituted the first lot of grape 

 material entrusted to his care. They consisted of a medley of old 

 and young wood of miscellaneous strength and lengths, which arrived 

 in a somewhat dry condition. The 1-year-old wood was made into 

 cuttings, and some of these cuttings were distributed among grape 

 growers in California, Arizona, and southern Nevada. This dis- 



1 It may be of interest to state that some Panariti cuttings were used in an experiment 

 to determine how long they could be immersed in hot water at different degrees of tem- 

 perature without killing them, and yet kill any phylloxera or root lice that might be 

 on them. Some of these immersed cuttings were afterward planted in the nursery in 

 the usual manner and others made into single-eye cuttings, placed in sand in the green- 

 house, and given bottom heat. The results showed that those immersed for 10 minutes 

 in water brought to 127° P. (53° C.) were put into better condition than those immersed 

 only 5 minutes at the same temperature. By immersing them 5 minutes at 133° F. 

 (56° C.) the best results were obtained, whereas at 140° P. (G0° C.) an immersion of 

 only 5 minutes was not only injurious but largely fatal to the cuttings. 



