AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
115 
The Zante Currant. 
Many of our readers have seen the imported 
dried currants, used for cooking in fruit-cake, pies, 
etc., and they will perhaps be interested to know 
more of them, especially as a trial of raising them 
in this country is about being made. We condense 
the following account principally from a com¬ 
munication sent in by S. P. M., Portland, Me. 
Though they have received the name of cur¬ 
rants, they are properly a species of gripe, grow¬ 
ing on a vine, and capable of being grafted upon 
the common grape vine. The fruit grows in 
clusters, differing from the common grape in be¬ 
ing seedless, except one large berry in each 
bunch, which is called the male currant. 
It is said to possess very fine flavor when fresh, 
being a regular article of dessert in the country 
where it is produced. It is eaten when about 
three-fourths ripe, and unlike other fruits, is said 
to be more wholesome before fully maturing. 
They are raised in the southern division of 
Greece (the Morea), and the adjoining islands, 
particularly Cephalonia, Ithica, and Zante, from 
which latter place their name is derived. In Ce¬ 
phalonia alone, our correspondent says, over 
9000 acres are cultivated, mostly for exportation. 
Our correspondent gives an account of the 
manner of preparing them for shipping not parti¬ 
cularly pleasing to think of, especially to scru¬ 
pulous housekeepers, who make neatness a car¬ 
dinal virtue. He says that after being properly 
dried, the fruit is packed in casks, being trodden 
down by the unwashed feet of peasant women. 
If introduced for cultivation in this country, 
they would probably not thrive in latitudes north 
of 36°. They require careful culture, needing 
abundance of water, so that irrigation is re¬ 
sorted to, in bringing them to perfection. They 
may be propagated by layers or cuttings in the 
same manner as the common grape vine, and re¬ 
quire six years to come to full bearing ; the fruit¬ 
ing, however, commences in about three years. 
The high prices which the fruit brings, will prob¬ 
ably ensure it a pretty thorough trial, and it may 
prove renumerative, but we do not see promise 
enough in the plant to warrant a very high 
currant fever. 
Grafting and Transplanting Grapes. 
A correspondent writes us that he has several 
roots of the common Fox grape, which he wishes 
to ^raft with improved sorts ; and asks if he shall 
do the work at the same time and in the same 
way as for apple-trees. He also wishes to re¬ 
move a large Isabella to a better location. 
We are glad to see that the improving taste of 
our people will not let them rest satisfied with 
the old-fashioned grapes. There is a delicious 
sweetness and flavor in most of the new r vat ieties, 
of which many people had before read and 
dreamed, but which they supposed could be en¬ 
joyed only by the owners of costly glass struc¬ 
tures for raising exotics. We do not wonder, 
therefore, that so many thousands of the new 
comers are annually disseminated ovei the land. 
Nor do we wonder at the desire to engraft the 
old sorts with the new and better. This work is 
easily done, though success is not as certain as 
with apples and pears. It may be done in the 
Spring, at the time of grafting fruit-trees in gen¬ 
eral, if the stock is cut off several inches below 
ground, and then well waxed over to prevent ex¬ 
cessive bleeding. But it is more likely to suc¬ 
ceed, if done later, when the leaves are nearly 
expanded, and the first flow of sap is mostly over, 
which occurs, in this latitude, from the 1st to the 
10th of June. Saw off‘the stock smoothly below 
ground, split it in the usual cleft-manner, insert 
one or two scions, bind the stock firmly to¬ 
gether if it does not adhere well, cover with wax, 
and draw the earth over the whole, leaving one 
bud above the surface. If the weather is dry, it 
will be quite important to mulch the ground and 
shade the scions for a month or two, otherwise 
they will dry up and perish. When the stock is 
large and difficult to split, several gimlet holes 
may be bored in it two or three inches deep, and 
the scions inserted. Make the holes in the direc¬ 
tion of the grain of the wood. Care must he 
taken to rub off the suckers which will spring up 
from the stock, and would otherwise rob the scions 
of their necessary food. If the scions get well 
established, they will make a growth of from five 
t.o ten feet the first season, and will bear some 
fruit the second year. 
We can hardly advise to transplant a large 
vine. The roots extend far and wide, and are 
very easily broken. If, however, one chooses 
to try it, take time enough. Take a leisure half 
day ; begin at the stump, and uncover the roots 
for as great a distance as the branches would ex¬ 
tend if laid upon the ground. Then, with a trans¬ 
planting trowel and the fingers, follow out each 
root, lifting up the fibers carefully so as to break 
none. Then set it out as speedily as possible, so 
as to allow’ none of the roots to become dry, giv¬ 
ing it the best possible soil. Cut out the oldest 
canes, and shorten the youngest to 5 or 6 feet. 
Mulch the roots for the first season, and water 
them if necessary to keep the vine from flagging. 
-<x> < t O- 
The Newer Grapes. 
The Rebecca continues to hold its place as one 
of the most delicious of our native grapes. Its 
berries have been happily styled “ bags of wine.” 
Yet, careful observers begin to fear that its hardi¬ 
ness for the northern States is not yet fully de¬ 
termined. The original vine at Newburgh, on 
the Hudson, has been laid dow’n and covered 
every winter, and the young vines, how every¬ 
where growing, show that protection is not 
thrown away upon them. Let tins important 
point be looked at, and when longer and wider 
experiments have been made, we shall know 
better, whether its wood is as hardy as its fruit 
is excellent. Objections have also been made 
to it on account of its tendency to mildew. 
With us (in northern N. Y.,) it has suffered more 
than the Delaware and the Concord, but not 
more than the Diana and Isabella. 
No fault can be found with the Delaware, 
except for the comparative smallness of its 
clusters and berries : yet even in this respect 
it is improving with the age of the vines. As 
it ripens its fruit before warm weather is over, 
it is not easy to keep it a long time fresh and 
plump. But for late preservation, we have enough 
in the Diana, Rebecca, Isabella, etc. 
The Marion and the Logan do not seem to 
come rapidly into public favor. Yet we think 
the Logan will soon stand nearly alongside with 
the Concord and Hartford Prolific, on account 
of its hardiness and earliness. Its small size is 
an objection to it. 
The Anna is now highly spoken of in some 
quarters. It originated in the garden of Eli 
Hasbrouck, Newburgh, N. Y., and fruited first 
in the year 1851. It is a white grape in the 
shade, and light amber in the sun, with an abun¬ 
dant bloom. The bunches are large, moderately 
compact, shouldered, and symmetrically shaped. 
Berries fair size, round, and translucent. An 
ardent amateur says : “ It is surpassingly sweet, 
rich, vinous, and somewhat spicy in its flavor, 
and has a decided, but pure and delightful aro¬ 
ma.” It ripens a week before the Isabella, but 
is improved by hanging long on the vines. 
These statements, be it remembered, are only 
from first impressions. Longer trial and obser¬ 
vation may modify our opinion. But at any rate, 
this grape “ promises well.” As Mr. Hovey says: 
“ If it proves (hardy and) as early as the Diana, 
it will be a most valuable acquisition.” 
The Clara. Of this', comparatively little is 
yet known. It was a chance seedling in the 
garden of P. Raabe, of Philadelphia. Dr. Brinckle, 
a good judge of fruits, describes it as follows : 
“Bunch medium, herrv medium; round, green’, 
faintly tinged with salmon when exposed to the 
sun ; flesh tender, juicy ; flavor rich, sweet, and 
delicious; quality best.” Dr. L. E. Bercumans, 
the famous pomologist, says : “ The Clara is a 
precious addition to our still short list of na¬ 
tive grapes of great merit. The fruit is test¬ 
ed, and stands high indeed. The only thing to 
be tested is the hardiness of the vine under 
unfavorable circumstances.” It is said to ripen 
as early as the Isabella. 
The Union Village is said to be equal in 
size to the Black Hamburg, equal in quality to 
the Isabella ; but the vine is tender, and needs 
careful protection in Winter. On account of its 
very rampant growth and late ripening, it re¬ 
quires to be planted in dry soil, only moderate¬ 
ly rich, and in a sunny exposure. 
The To Kalon is not as well known as it 
deserves to be. It has large, shouldered bunch¬ 
es, berries black, and covered with a profuse 
bloom. The fruit is of first rate quality, equal 
in every respect to Isabella or Catawba. It 
needs a deep, rich soil to promote fruitfulness. 
How to Raise Strawberries. 
This month is one of the best in all the year 
for planting the strawberry. For this reason, and 
because many persons still imagine that there is 
some mystery in the raising of this excellent fruit, 
we will now set forth all that is really necessary 
to know on the subject. For a more full discus¬ 
sion of the theory and practice, we refer the read¬ 
ers to articles in our recent volumes. 
The strawberry likes a warm, sandy loam, with 
a sunny exposure. It will hear fruit in poor soil, 
but to produce large berries and a plenty of them, 
the land must be enriched. It will hear fruit a 
short time, in a light and.thin soil, but to prolong 
the season of bearing into the midst of dry weath¬ 
er, the soil must be deepened by trenching (dig¬ 
ging). Some varieties have imperfect flowers, i e. 
are either staminate or pistillate, (male or female) 
and can not fertilize themselves, therefore, those 
of one sex need to be planted in the neighbor¬ 
hood of the other. A few have perfect flowers, 
and are called hermaphrodite. In the artificial 
soil of our gardens, strawberry plants are apt to 
grow too rank and dense for their highest pro¬ 
ductiveness, and should be thinned out, so as to 
keep them several inches apart. 
The above are perhaps the most important gen¬ 
eral principles connected with successful straw¬ 
berry culture. Now, for an application : Choose 
a warm portion of the garden, unshaded by trees 
or vines, and where there is no standing water in 
the subsoil. If the garden has already been 
trenched eighteen inches or two feet deep, and if 
the soil is warm, rich and porous throughout, all 
you have to do is to just spade up the earth, level 
it off, and set out your plants. But, supposing 
the subsoil is hard, and- the top soil somewhat 
