92 CURCULIO. CURRANT. 



four years' keeping is preferable for early frame crops.'' — 

 Abercrombie, 



Uses. — " Cucumbers are a salubrious, cooling; fruit, and 

 may be safely allowed to consumptive patients, as they sweet- 

 en acrid humours, at the same time are gently laxative ; but 

 being in a considerable degree acescent, and sometim.es at- 

 tended with flatulency and diarrhcea, such effects may bei 

 prevented by eating them with great moderation ; or with 

 the addition of vinegar and pepper, which counteract their 

 natural coldness. If properly pickled, (without colouring 

 them with that poisonous metal, copper, or rendering them 

 too acrid with stimulant spices,) they are an excellent an- 

 tiseptic ; yet we consider them highly improper either for 

 children or wet nurses." — Dom. Encyc. 



CURCULIO — an insect found in apples and other 

 fruits. — See Insects. 



CURBANT. — Ribes, — There are several species ot cur- 

 rants, of which the principal are the common red currant, 

 the white currant, and the black currant. 



Soil and site, — All the sorts are very hardy, will grow 

 freely and bear plentifully, almost any where, alike in open 

 and shady situations, by which the fruit may be obtained 

 early in June and July, and prolonged for several months 

 in succession till October. As to soil, the currant generally 

 does well in any common garden ground, well tilled and 

 recruited ; it bears the greater crop in a strong loam, or 

 improved clay, somewhat moist ; the earlier in a sandy light 

 mould, which is not poor. Previous to planting, the ground 

 should be dug two feet deep. 



The following directions for the cultivation of the cur- 

 rant are taken from the Ajner. Phil. Trans, vol. i. 1st series. 



" Plant them round the quarters in the garden, that they 

 may have the benefit of the manure and culture annually 

 bestowed thereon, which will consequently make the ber- 

 ries large and the juice rich. The red currant is preferable 

 to the white, as yielding richer juice, and in much greater 

 quantity. 



"Take the most luxuriant slips or shoots of a year's 

 growth, set them in the ground about eight inches deep, 

 and not less than twenty-four inches distant from each 

 other : these never fail of taking root, and generally begin 

 to bear in two years. For the rest, let them, from time to 

 time, be treated as espaliers, (but not against a wall,) ob- 

 serving to keep the roots from suckers and grass. 

 ^ The goodness of the currant depends upon their hay- 



