30 



W. F. Allen, Salisbury, Maryland 



CURRANTS 



Soil and Cultivation. Red Currants are more particular in regard 

 to soil than most other small fruits. They will grow in a hot, sandy 

 soil, but are never so productive as in a cool, moist, clay loam, and no 

 small fruit will repay liberal manuring better. 

 While the vitality of the plant is great and it will 

 grow in almost any soil if fertile, the moisture- 

 retaining character of a clayey soil, well supplied 

 with humus, will always make the crop greater and 

 better. 



Pruning and Training. While some growers 

 have attempted to train the Currant to a single 

 stem in tree-like form, this is not the best, especially 

 as a commercial fruit. The bush form in which 

 shoots are thrown up from the base is always 

 the best. The pruning needed is to prevent 

 too many shoots coming up from the base 

 and crowding the bush, and cutting out 

 the old gnarly shoots that have served their 

 purpose. Half a dozen thrifty shoots will make more 

 and larger fruit than a crowded cluster, and the 

 effort should be to maintain a supply of vigorous 

 two-year-old shoots, and then eliminate the stunted 

 ones. The first season allow three good shoots to 

 grow, and the next spring shorten these slightly if 

 they have made a long growth, and encourage new 

 shoots from below. In a dry, sandy soil I have 

 found that a good mulch of sifted coal ashes under 

 the plants will retain moisture better than any 

 other material. 



Cherry. Very large; deep red; rather acid; bunch 

 is short, plant erect, stout, vigorous and productive. 



Fay's Prolific. Less acid than Cherry; bunch 

 large, berries medium, bright and sparkling. One 

 of the leading red varieties and a remarkable 

 cropper. 



White Grape. This is the largest and most 

 productive of the white varieties. Flavor sweet and 

 very fine for the table. 



Wilder. One of the strongest growers and most 

 productive. Bunch and berry large, bright, attrac- 

 tive red, even when dead ripe. Hangs on bushes in 

 fine condition for handling as late as any known 

 variety. Ripens at same time as Fay's Prolific and 

 hangs on bush much longer; fully as prolific, and 

 is, in every way, as profitable. A popular variety 

 both for table or for market. 



Wilder Currants. 



One of the strongest 



grown 



Pomona. Of good size and flavor. Bright red 

 and long stemmed, hanging in fine condition long 

 after ripe. Bears early and abundantly. 



Red Cross. A large and productive variety, and 



undoubtedly one of the best Currants if not the very 



best midseason variety on the market. The masses 



of fruit are so dense as to hide the naked canes 



from view, and the fruit has a mild and pleasant 



flavor. One proof of its 



popularity is that we sell 



more of this variety than 



anything else on our list. 



A vigorous grower and 



very productive. 



Downing Gooseberry. One of the best large-fruiting sorts 



This Is What We Like to 

 Hear 



The plants you shipped 

 me came through on the 

 jump and in fine condition. 

 — Matt W. Anderson, 

 Lewis & Clark County, 

 Mont., April 7, 1912. 



A Record We Are Proud 

 Of 



I have been buying plants 

 from you for about twenty 

 years or more and have 

 always been treated right. — 

 John Kingsbury, Vanden- 

 burg County, Ind., Feb. 

 16, 1012. 



