SPRING CATALOGUE OF SEEDS, BULBS AND PLANTS FOR 1896. 
129 
Ghrraqt. 
A favorite old garden fruit, which of late years has been 
wonderfully improved, and the variety here offered can bear 
Little or no comparison to the old garden sort: 
Childs Giant Ruby. This is the finest, of all Currants. It 
originated in Ulster county, N. Y.. and was introduced 
by us last year. It Is of remarkably strong growth, the 
leaves being large but less leathery than Fay's or Cherry. 
In the size and quality of the fruit this variety is really 
_a marvel. The berries are very large, borne in enormous 
clusters of twenty to thirty, yet leaving room near 
the wood to make picking easily done without bruis¬ 
ing or crushing the berries. In color they an* the. 
1 most beautiful ruby scarlet, sparkling and glossy, 
and being so largo in size they catch every eye, and 
sell more readily and for much better prices than 
any other variety. It is how being largely planted when* 
Fay’s and other sorts have been pulled out, for it is a 
{ reater and surer bearer than any other Currant grown, 
n this locality it. easily produces three or four times ns 
much fruit as Fay’s or Cherry, and the fruit is certainly 
much finer in every respect. Mr. N. Hallook. a Long 
Island fruit grower, says: “I have grown the Giant 
Rub/ Currant, for four years. Rushes three years set 
yielded the past season five pounds of fine fruit, where 
Bay’s Prolific, in the same lot. has been an entire failure. 
Of the seven or eight, kinds I grow, Giant. Ruby yields 
double the quantity of fruit, of any of them.” This 
Currant is so greatly superior to any other variety that 
we feel we cannot say enough in its praise. It is splendidly 
represented by u colored plate in The Mayflower of 
January. 18B3. No one can realize the mass of fruit 
which a section or branch of this variety will bear until 
see it. Price fine, thrifty bushes. 25c, each : 3 for 
50c.; 7 for $1.00; 100 for $10.00. 
Grapdall -free Qirraqt. 
We were the first to call general attention to this most 
excellent fruit, and for the last four years it has had with us 
a tremendous sale, and as far as we have heard has in every 
instance proved greatly satisfactory. It is a strong and rapid 
grower, attaining a height, of seven to nine feet and branch¬ 
ing freely into a fine symmetrical tree form; single shoots 
often grow four to five feet in ono season. It bears every year 
a tremendous crop of large black fruit nearly the size of a 
grape, the quality of which is entirely unlike that of any other 
Rlack Currant, as it has none of the odor or disagreeable 
flavor common to black sorts. Its quality is very fine in¬ 
deed. and is not excelled for cooking in any form, either for 
pies, jelly, jam or sauce. Its flavor is that of the Sweet Cur¬ 
rant, combined with the acid of the Cherry Currant. It is 
almost sure to commence bearing the first year and certainly 
will yield a big crop the second year. The. fruit begins to 
ripen the middle of July and continues to the middle of 
August, the large berries being borne in clusters of four to 
twelve and cling to the tree along time after they are ripe 
before dropping. Tin* currant worm does not infest this sort 
and it. is. in fact, entirely exempt from all insect ravages, 
either in foliage or fruit, h is or iron-dad hardiness and 
will stand the most severe climate withouta particlcof in¬ 
jury in any respect. 
The Department of Agriculture at Washington has taken 
a great interest in this new Currant, and the Agricultural 
Report ot IKS!), contains a line colored plate of It. and among 
other things the report says: ** It is an enormous bearer, the 
fruit being large, about one-half inch in diameter. In quality, 
raw. it is superior to any of the European Black Currants, 
having no strong odor or unpleasant taste. It is well adapted 
ror sauces, pies, jellies, etc. It is never attacked by currant 
worms or other insects, and is perfectly hardy.” This is a 
strong endorsement, and is as true as gospel. The Crandall 
Tree Currant should certainly have a position in every 
garde!,. Price of strong, healthy plants, 25c. each ; 5 for 
$ 1 . 0 ( 1 ; 12 for $ 2 . 00 . 
