Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1856-12-09
rsrrlut Raising and cu,ralt vino,


other members of the great horticul
tnral family; and particularly tho val
ue of currants. This fruit j. too
good not to receive a moro prominent
notice from all hands. When We
see how little space it demands tc
grow aud produce well, how hardy il
il, with what little labor it is cult.
waited, and the many uses the fruit
can BE- put to, the Importance OF .
space in tho farmers column, to de.
tail its merits, no one interested in
this department Of our paper will
question. Pies, jams, tarts, jcllies,
and wines the currant will furnish,
and of course, the process Of cultiya.
ton, to those who have never paid
particular attention. TO it, will b
read with some interest. Anybody
can make entrants grow, that Is true,
for we soc them under the fences in
almost every old garden in the coun.
try, and those who only know this
fruit By the specimens of it gathered
from localities where s'anybody car
raise thern,n know nothing about it
In old fashioned times, whoever
heard Of manuring currant bushes,
or cutting out the dead wood, or Of
ever disturbing the sward about the
roots, which was, perhaps, as hard
and tough as a board9 From such
bushes the currants are small, halt
grown, half matured, and ne type Of
the class they belong to. Now let us
give the reader who may de-
sire to have these bushes in
his garden, a little advice. In the
winter, just before Spring opens,
take cuttings of last years growth,
and lay them away in your cellar, in
some. moist spot, and cover with q
little saw dust. When your garden
il in order in the Spring, make q
border in the open air-not under the
fence-but trenching and manuring
take each slip which you intend tc
set out, and cut out the eyes of the
lower half of the same, which pre-.
vents the shoots from starting thro'
the soil, then plant them, four or five
feet apart, treading the earth firmly
around each. II q dry summer fol
lows, water and mulch them. As
the plants grow from year to year,
prune jndiciousIy, keeping the heads
nottoo thick, cutting off the extrelni-
ties to induce fruitfnlness, applying,
spring and fall q top dressing of we'll
rotted manure, and keeping the
earth loose, and free from weeds
Now, when your fruit natures under
such cultivation, you have the finest
which thevariety can be made to pro-
duce. There are many good varieties
Of this fruit, which the latest works
on horticulture will give you, but the
RED and White Dutch" are very
pupular, and the "White Grape" is
said to be one of the finest of all the
white varieties. The "Cherryn is the
largest red currant known, and one Of
the best to cultivate. .5I
Wine making is a valuable pur-.
pose for currants, and for tho benefit
Of ail who may be enabled to try it,
from the quantity Of the fine fruit
which they cultivate, we give the
proportion Of juice of the currant,
sugar and water. 49, > 81
y i 4 . Receipt No. 1. -.
10 gallons pure juice. IN j.
100 pounds good sugar,
. Water sufficient to ell a 40 gallon
cssk. # +! -
K Receipt No. a.
10 gallons pure juice, 1>.r<.i
so pounds good sugar, r=2.~
90 gallons water. e.54
Mix well, and put in a very strong
cask, ialcohol barrels, J in a cool, dry
cellar, and bung up tight, vent hole
and all. If the cask is old, do not
bung mp tight, if You do yen may find
your liquor turned into low wines on
the cellar bottom. If you do not
stop your barrel tight, it is best tol
put. a piece Of ganse over the bung1
hole to keep flies, &c, ont. Let the 1
wine remain in the cask three months,
and carefully rack it into another be-
forcremoying the "original package. ,
After nine months more it will be fit
to bottle, and grows better every year
forseYen years.
uOGs.-Ihe Ahinnlon .V;rn;n;nn