CURRANT-GRAPE GROWING. 3 
warehouse, for which he received a receipt, which in Greece was 
negotiable and brought nearly as much as the market value of the 
currants. ) 7 
The retained currants enabled the Government of Greece to pro- 
mote the making of wines and brandies. With the money received 
for such currants a bank was established in 1899, called “The Cur- 
rant Bank,” with a capital of 3,500,000 drachmas (about $675,000). 
This bank lent money on easy terms to the growers of currant 
grapes on the security of their crop and assisted them in other ways. 
The “ parakratesis” act in this way directly levies a tax upon the 
foreign consumer and utilizes the surplus crop; but such a law will 
be of avail only so long as Greece has a monopoly in currants. 
About 150,000 acres are devoted to currant-grape growing in 
Greece, which area in a favorable season produces from 300,000,000 
to 340,000,000 pounds of currants. 
IMPORTS OF CURRANTS INTO THE UNITED STATES. 
The imports of currants into the United States from 1906 to 1918, 
inclusive, and their value are shown in Table T. 
Taste I.—Quantity and value of currants imported into the United States for 
the 13-year period from 1906 to 1918, inclusive. 
| 
| Value. | Value. 
| | 
Year Pouncs. | ] | Year. | Pounds. 
A eta | | Per 
| Total. | pound.! | | | Total. | pound.! 
TG0G Se eee 37,078,311 | $1,119, 146 | msO307 | (1OIS* 52 Sane. 20, 843, 735 | $1, 306, 410 $0. 042 
LOO ee ees 38,392,779 | 1,746,941 | O46 (pl Ota yn 32,033,177 | 1, 233, 228 - 040 
NOUS a= a ae 38,652,656 | 1,592,018 SOAS SIONS ea eeeeeeee 30,350,527 | 1,209,273 039 
LOO ORE ae ee 37,482,111 | 1,185, 106 3036: || SONG. = sae nee 25,373,029 | 1,382,839 054 
IO or = 33,326,030 | 1,190,020 203 On| IONE pa meee 10,476,534 | 1,056,525 - 100 
19 1 ee eS 33,439,565 | 1,486,263 OFA GI SE eee emer 5, 168,070 561, 904 - 109 
OU Stare eeees 33,151,396 | 1,561,350 . 047 | 
1 The part of the cents shown is the nearest decimal fraction. 
From Table I it appears that the United ‘States in the decade 
previous to the war annually imported nearly 34,000,000 pounds of 
dried currants, these at. an average of 4 cents per pound, costing 
about $1,360,000. In 1917 the imports were 10,476,534 pounds, cost- 
ing slightly more than 10 cents per pound, or $1,056,525 ; but in 1918, 
because no more were to be had, only 5,168,070 pounds were im- - 
ported, costing almost 11 cents per pound, or $561,904. 
EXPLORER’S NOTES ON CURRANT GRAPES. 
The following extract from a letter dated March 6, 1901, of 
David Fairchild, Agricultural Explorer for the United States De- 
partment of Agriculture, transmitted with an introduction of Pana- 
riti cuttings from Greece, is of interest in this connection: 
