16 
9 
FAY’S PROLIFIC CURRANT 
The statement has been made many times 
recently, through the agricultural papers, 
that “no improvement has been made in 
the currant during the last twenty years.” 
but the favor shown Fay’s Prolific Currant 
by fruit growers and fanciers appears to be 
a full refutation of the erroneous idea. 
This valuable addition to our small fruits 
was originated some fourteen years ago by 
the late Lincoln Fay of Portland, Chautau¬ 
qua Co., N. Y., from a seedling of the 
Cherry and Victoria Currants, and is the 
resnlt of an endeavor to produce a Red Cur¬ 
rant that would combine the size of the 
Cherry Currant witli the prolific bearing 
qualities of some other variety. In color 
it is a rich red. It equals the Cherry cur¬ 
rant in size, is better in flavor, less acid, 
and five times as prolific, while from its pe¬ 
culiar stem is less expensive to pick. 
While our cut hardly does justice to so 
fine a fruit, it nevertheless shows the size 
of bum h to be exceedingly large, fully 
warranting the disseminators in claiming 
that it is far ahead of all others. Mr. Cfeo. 
S. Josselyn of Fredonia. N. Y.. is one of 
the principal propagators of this currant 
and probably will gladly answer all inqui¬ 
ries concerning it. 
NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
It is a question whether most farmers 
are not attempting too much. The crops 
largely grown require more labor than 
formerly, especially potatoes. The time 
spent in keeping a field of potatoes clear of 
bugs would do much toward cultivating it. 
if it could be so used. The result is small 
crops on a large acreage, when the reverse 
would be much more profitable. I have 
this year six acres less of potatoes than a 
year ago, but hope to have more bushels. 
Next year I shall plant four less than this 
year, and still get more potatoes and cer¬ 
tainly more profit than from the larger 
acreage. “There is profit in all labor,” is a 
saying as old as Solomon, but where so 
much of the labor has to be hired, and the 
laborers boarded, a great deal of the profit 
must be parted with before it gets into the 
farmers’ pocket. w. i. f. 
An Ohio correspondent of the Country 
Gentleman describes and highly recom¬ 
mends the use of strong light bushel boxes 
in marketing early potatoes. He says they 
are a great convenience and save a good 
deal of labor. The size is 13 by 16 inches, 
and 18d inches deep all inside measure. 
The ends are made of f, and sides and bot¬ 
tom of d inch light wood, such as bass or 
white-wood, planed on both sides. The 
corners are bound with galvanized hoop- 
iron, and hand holes are cut in each end. 
They hold just a bushel when level full and 
cost about $25 per 100. 
For marketing early in the season while 
the skins slip, the potatoes are carefully 
laid into the boxes, and the boxes put on 
a spring wagon and covered from the sun. 
The potatoes are left in the boxes until sold. 
In this way they reach the consumer al¬ 
most as nice and fresh as though dug out 
of his own garden. There is a growing de¬ 
mand for nice things and farmers must 
keep up with the demand if they w r ant to 
make money. 
