CURRANTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 May 1940, Page 8

CURRANTS

BLACK. WHITE AND RED Botanically. the currants are related to the gooseberries, all being Ribes, and belonging to the natural order Saxifrageae—one usually associated with dwarf alpine plants. The red, white, and black currants are very hardy, and are natives of Europe and Asia, where they are found growing in woods and thickets; and they do very much better in the cooler conditions in the south than in tire subtropical north. The cultivated varieties, however, differ greatly from the wild species, and, though there are not a great many varieties of currants in cultivation, they have been much improved. Currants are a crop which can be grown in the coldest, most shady, and dampest part of the garden, a position in which no other fruit could be grown in a satisfactory manner, though they do like an open, sunny position when they can get it. They really prefer a fairly heavy loam and love an alluvial soil on a cool base, and like quantities of farmyard manure or compost heap dug or trenched in when preparing the soil for their accommodation. They are frequently planted among fruit trees but such positions are not the best, and the shady side of a fence, wall or hedge will suit them very well.

Block currants are easily grown, from cuttings, which root readily. Pieces of last years ripened wood, well developed and about 10 inches to a foot in length, if buried three parts of their length in well-drained soil now, will form nice little bushes which can be transferred to their permanent positions next autumn, though it is really, better to line them out in nursery rows for a season. It is not necessary to remove any of the buds, for, as it is necessary to take up young branches from the base of the bush periodically, suckers are no disadvantage. As a rule only three or four shoots will grow up in the first place, and these can be shortened back half their length the first season. As the fruit is borne on the young wood, this is encouraged. and at the second pruning just the unripened tips are cut off, as usual to a bud pointing away from the centre of the bush. Nine inches to a toot of young wood can be added every year until the bushes reach their maximum height, when whole shoots are cut right out, these being replaced by young ones which spring from the base of the plant. probably from under the ground. By constantly removing whole branches and replacing them with young ones. the bush is kept young and fruitful.

Black currants are easily grown time in the autumn, as soon as the leaves drop, and the present is quite a suitable time. They make lots of fibrous roots, and consequently transplant easily. The roots' should be spread out in holes at least a foot wide and a little fine soil, such as old potting soil to which some bonedust has been added, spread over them; this will encourage their rapid development in the autumn, so that they may be established before the cold weather sets in. Though black currants are usually grown in bush form, they can be trained as cordons of either two or three stems to each plant. In this way they can be grown against walls or fences on the shady side, where they would be longer in ripening and thereby extend the season. and where they could be protected from the ravages of birds. It is quite unnecessary to state how valuable black currants are for making jam and for use in other ways.

Red and white currants differ largely in flavour and appearance from the black ones, and they also differ in that their fruit is borne on the old wood.

Like the black'' kinds they can be grown quite easily from cuttings of last seasons ripe wood, pieces of about a foot in length being selected. As a clean stem is desirable and suckers undesirable, all the buds should be removed except the three top ones, and the unripened tip of the shoot should also, be cut off. They are buried three-quarters of their length in the ground, and to assist drainage a layer of sand or lime rubble should be put in the bottom of the trench and the base of the cutting set on this. When the rooted cuttings are lined out or planted in their permanent places, the roots should be kept up as near the surface as possible, so that the bushes will have a clean stem of at least six inches. The soil and situation suitable for the black currants is also suitable for the red and white, for they will also grow in a moist semi-shaded position, such as the shady • side of a wall or fence.

When planted there will be three stems, and these are shortened back half their length cutting to an outside bud. At the next pruning two shoots will be taken up from each of the three original ones, all others being spurred back, and the following year the number of branches will again be doubled which will be sufficient for bushes planted at six feet apart. When pruning, in every case cut to an outside bud and all subsequent work will be the cutting back of all laterals to about an inch and extending the main shoots six inches.

Often summer pruning is carried out as soon as the fruit is picked, pinching all side shoots, back to about two inches, these being reduced to not more than an inch at the winter pruning. Red currants can also" be trained as cordons against the handy side of a wall or fence.

Red currants are used for making jelly and for pies, and for white, which is just a colour variety, is often used for dessert. Varieties to plant are Black, Boskop Giant and Black Naples, Red Fays Prolific and Victoria, White, White Dutch.