Volume 50 Number 2 Article 12
Year 1996 Month 4
Title: Surprise! It`s Crandall
Authors: K.E. Hummer and S. Pluta
Abstract:
From May to August 1995,116 Ribes
cultivars and selections in the collection at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service,
National Clonal Germplasm Repository, were evaluated for flowering and
fruiting characteristics.
One black
fruited, late-ripening currant cultivar,
R. odoratum Wendl. cv.
Crandall, was
exceptional for berry size and quality.
'Crandall' is only slightly known in the
U.S., and is unknown to European
gardens and markets.
We are writing
this article to emphasize some of
'CrandalTs qualities in contrast with
the European and North American
black currants, R. nigrum cvs. 'Ben
Lomond' and 'Crusader 'Ben Lomond'
was released in 1975 by the Scottish
Crop Research Institute and is a prominent cultivar grown throughout Europe. 'Crusader' was released in 1948
from the Department of Agriculture,
Ontario, Canada, for white pine blister
rust resistance.
'Crandall' originated from a wild
seedling discovered by R.W. Crandall
of Newton, Kansas.
It was introduced
in 1888 by Frank Ford & Sons, Ravenna, Ohio and recommended by the
American Pomological Society in 1899
(2). 'Crandall' has a poor reputation.
Hedrick (2) describes it as having
tough skin, unpleasant flavor, and uneven ripening.
Our assessment of
'Crandall' is in sharp contrast.
The
berry skin of 'Crandall' does not seem
tougner than that of R. nigrum L.
cultivars and the flavor is sweet and
pleasant.
The fruit ripens consistently
enough on the plants in the Repository
collection but may be too droopy for
mechanical harvesting.
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