THE NAPLES CURRANT. 
The Black Currant is well known to grow wild in Sweden, 
Russia, and other parts of the north of Europe ; but we have 
no evidence of its having been known by the ancients of the 
southern parts of the European continent. It was also found 
in North America, by Kalm, who mentions it in his ‘Travels.’ 
Of this fruit there are now six varieties enumerated in the 
Horticultural Society’s Catalogue. The Wild Black; Black 
Grape; Black Naples; Common Black: Green-fruited Black; 
Russian Green ; to these we may add another, bearing the 
anomalous name of White Black Currant, which bears a dingy, 
whitish, middle-sized fruit, TNuth the full flavour of the Com- 
mon Black, but scarcely so sweet, and having no recommen- 
dation but its novelty. Of all the varieties at present in cul- 
tivation, the Black Naples is unquestionably the best; not 
that any distinguishable difference from the Common sort 
exists in its flavour, but its fruit is finer. Our figure must not 
be taken as a superior specimen ; it is merely a truthful repre- 
sentation of the produce of our own plant in its first year after 
transplanting from the nursery. 
This fruit is, undoubtedly, less esteemed than it deserves. 
For jelly, preserve, wine, &c., it is valuable ; and its medi- 
cinal properties are no less important, its jelly having long 
been known as a valuable remedy in most affections of the 
throat ; indeed, by some of the old herbalists it was so much 
esteemed as a remedy for quinsey, that the fruit obtained the 
appellation of squinancy berries. The jelly, dissolved in warm 
water, affords a very pleasant and useful beverage to feverish 
patients ; or the preserved fruit may be used for the same 
purpose with advantage. 
The Black Currant is usually propagated by cuttings of the 
young wood, taken in autumn or spring. These should be 
about a foot long, and have all the lower buds carefully cut 
out, to prevent shoots arising round the main stem ; a pre- 
caution which should always be observed with both Currants 
and Gooseberries. When the growth of two buds, at the top 
of the cutting, is certain, all others should be destroyed. In 
the following autumn plant them out, choosing a well-manured 
and rather moist soil ; pnine back the two shoots to two or 
three buds each, and from their produce form the head of the 
tree, allowing six inches between each branch. The subse- 
quent pruning consists of cutting out all lateral shoots to 
short spurs ; at least, such as are not required to fill up 
vacancies ; remembering to do this efficiently, early in August, 
and an abundance of fruit will be the result. 
