Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1875 — The Culture of Currants. [ARTICLE]

The Culture of Currants.

There are many things to betaken into consideration before a man should attempt the culture of currants upon an extended scale and for profit. Success will depend as much upon favorable climate and soil as upon the varieties and after culture, supposing the question of a good market for the fruit is left entirely out of the account. In the first place, the choice varieties do not thrive in a very hqt climate, or where severe droughts occur in sum* mcr. tor jf the cool, moist weather extends sufficiently late to insure the ripening of the fruit, followed by hot, dry weather, the leaves will drop, and after a period of rest new ones will appear, and perhaps a second crop, in time to be cut off by the first frosts in autumn; the final results being a slow, lingering, but certain death to the plantation. A coolclimate and a season just long enough to insure full maturity of the fruits and plants before frosts is the best, tdl things considered, for the currant. A hundred miles north of the latitude of New York city is a better climate for the currant than the same distance south; still, by proper selection of soil and by varying the system of culture, this fruit is made to succeed over quite a wide range of country. Next in importance to a cool, moist climate is a cool, deep, rich soil, and one of a rather compact or clayey nature is preferable to a light loam or sand, however rich the latter may be. Light, warm soils, not naturally well suited to the currant, may be made to produce good results by the free use of some kind of mulch. In fact, mulching currant plantationscan be practiced quite 'profitably in nearly all locations throughout the Middle States. As a cool, moist soil is preferable to one of an opposite character, t he cultivator should seek this at the start, but guard against making the mistake in applying these terms and* elect one that is. cold and wet. Low grounds likely to be overflowed or near streams will seldom, answer, because, the fruit is liable to,be injured by frost in spring. High, open grounds are better than low, protected situations for currants, especially in moderately warnF climates; then to make the soil cool and moist work deeply and add manure if necessary. The further south the deeper should be the soil, and in the vicinity of Washington, D. C., nothing less than working it over to the depth of eighteen inches would satisfy me far a currant plantation. With such a depth of good, fertile, pulverized soil one might reasonably expeefcto defy a pretty severe drought, and especially if a light mulch was applied in spring. There are many excellent varieties in cultivation, but there is little difference in the amount of profit to be derived per acre between the very largest, like the cherry currant, or those of medium size, like the common red Dutch. The first will command the largest price per pound, but the latter yield the greatest num tier I>er acre. If a man desires the very largest of the red varieties he cannot do better than to take the cherry and La Versailles. For white sorts, white grape and white Dutch. Black Naples is one of the best of its class. In planting it is well to allow room enough between the plants to admit of easy cultivation and gathering of the fruit. Four feet apart each way will answer very well, although the plants may look rather scattering for the first year or two, but less distance is scarcely practicable on good rich soils. Some cultivators give more room between the rows, say five feet and less between the plants, but under either arrangement we get about the same number ot plants per acre. Four feet by four a110w52.722 per acre, and five by three 2,904. Good, strong plants, when three or four years old, should yield on an average four pounds each, and double of this would not be an extraordinaryproduct.— 4. <8- Fuller, in New York Tribune.