GROSSULARIEZ, 
Selection of sorts.—‘ It must be admitted,” Neill observes, 
“that although large gooseberries make a fine appearance on 
the table, they are often deficient in flavour when compared with 
some of smaller size. Many of them have very thick strong 
skins, and are not eatable unless thoroughly ripened. Some of 
the large sorts, however, are of very good quality, such as the 
red Champagne and the green walnut, &c. For culinary use in 
the month of May, Wilmot’s early red is larger and better than 
most others, the skin not being tough, and the whole berry melt- 
ing to a fine consistence.” Forsyth very judiciously recommends 
cultivating the early and late sorts, in order to prolong the sea- 
son of this fruit. But the best way of selecting sorts for any 
particular purpose is from the list given above, where those that 
are of particular excellence are marked by an asterisk. 
Propagation.—The gooseberry may be propagated by all the 
modes applicable to trees or shrubs, even by pieces of the roots ; 
but the mode by cuttings is usually adopted for continuing 
varieties, and that by seeds for procuring them. 
By seeds.—The scientific mode of impregnating one variety 
with another has, we believe, not been applied to this fruit. In 
general the seed of some choice variety, thoroughly ripe, is taken 
and sown in autumn or early in spring, in beds or pots of rich 
light mellow earth; when the plants are a year old, they are 
planted out in nursery rows, to be cultivated and trained there 
a year or two; in general they will bear the third year. By 
preparing for the best of these seedlings a very rich soil, and by 
watering, shading, and thinning the fruit, the largest sorts have 
been obtained. Not content with watering at the roots and over 
the top, the Lancashire connoisseur, when he is growing for ex- 
hibition, places a small saucer of water immediately under each 
gooseberry, only 3 or 4 of which he leaves on the tree. This is 
technically called suckling. He also pinches off a great part of 
the young wood, so as to throw all the strength he can into the 
fruit. 
By cuttings.—Miller says, the best season for planting goose- 
berry cuttings is in autumn, just before their leaves begin to fall. 
The cuttings should be taken from bearing shoots, rather than 
from those that issue from the main stem, Cut them to such a 
length as the strength and ripeness of the wood will bear, and cut 
off all the buds, excepting three, or at most four at top, and 
train the plants with a single stem of 9 inches or a foot high, 
from the top of which the branches should radiate upwards at an 
angle of 40°, or better if 45°. Haynes advises taking off cut- 
tings in July, when the fruit is on the bush, in order to make 
sure of the sorts. He says, by immediate planting, watering, 
and shading, as good plants are produced as from ripe wooded 
cuttings. Treat. of the gooseberry, &c. p. 29. = 
Soil and site.—Any good garden soil, ona dry bottom, and 
well manured, will suit the gooseberry. That which is soft and 
moist produces the largest fruit. The situation should not be 
under the drip of trees, over much shaded or confined, other- 
wise the fruit will be small, ill flavoured, and the plants apt to 
mildew. Forsyth says, gooseberries should be dunged every 
year, or at least have a good coat of dung once in two years. 
Haynes recommends a mixture of peat and loam well manured, 
and a shaded situation. The last he proposes to effect by plant- 
ing among his quarters of gooseberries, rows of Jerusalem arti- 
chokes in the direction of east and west. ies 
Final planting.—“ The season for planting gooseberries is 
any time during open weather, from October till March. When 
trees are procured from the public nurseries, choose such as are 
in some advanced state, about 3 years’ growth, with pretty full 
heads, for immediate plentiful bearers. Let the general supply 
be in standard bushes, and plant principally in the kitchen 
garden, in single rows along the boundary edges of the main 
quarters or outward borders, from 6 to 8 feet apart, or some 
I, Rises. 183 
may be planted in cross rows, to subdivide extensive quarters. 
When the object is to raise large quantities of fruit, plantations 
are made in continued parallel rows, 8 or 10 feet asunder, by 6 
feet in the row. It would be eligible to plant a few choice sorts 
against south and other sunny walls or paling, for earlier and 
larger fruit; and on north walls to ripen late in succession.” 
Abercrombie. Forsyth says, “The market gardeners about 
London plant them in rows, from 8 to 10 feet apart from row to 
row, and 6 feet from plant to plant in the rows. In small gar- 
dens I would recommend planting them in quarters by them- 
selves, at the distance of 6 feet between the rows, and 4 feet 
from plant to plant; or you may plant them round the edges of 
the quarters about 3 feet from the path; you will then have 
the ground clear for cropping, and a man, by setting one foot on 
the border, can gather the gooseberries without injuring the 
crop.” Neil says, “ In some places gooseberry bushes on the 
sides of the borders, are trained to a single tall stem, which is 
tied toa stake ; this, though 6 or 8 feet high, occasions scarcely 
any shade on the border, and it does not occupy much room, nor 
exclude air; while, at the same time, the stem becomes close 
hung with berries, and makes a pleasant appearance in that state.” 
Edinb. encyel. art. hort. § 161. Maher observes (Hort. trans. 
2. p. 146.) “ that as the crop of ripe fruit is often injured by 
having the largest and earliest berries prematurely gathered, 
whilst green, for tarts, a sufficient number of trees of such 
varieties as are earliest should be planted in a separate quarter 
of the garden, and devoted exclusively to the use of the kitchen, 
for tarts and sauce.” 
Mode of bearing.—‘ The gooseberry produces its fruit not 
only on the shoots of last summer, and on shoots 2 or 3 years’ 
old, but also on spurs or snags arising from the elder branches 
along the sides; but the former afford the largest fruit. The 
shoots retained for bearers should therefore be left at full length 
or nearly so.” Abercrombie. 
Pruning.—* The bushes will require a regular pruning twice 
in the year.” 
Summer pruning.—‘ Where any bushes are crowded with 
cross and water shoots of the same year, shading the fruit from 
the sun, and preventing the access of air, thin the heart of the 
plant and other tufted parts moderately, pinching off or cutting 
out close what spray is removed; but do not touch the summer 
shoots in general. Maher says, it will greatly contribute to the 
perfection of the fruit, if the very small berries are taken away 
with a pair of scissors about the middle or end of May; and 
these small berries will be found quite as good for sauce or 
gooseberry cream as the larger.” 
Winter pruning.—“ You may proceed to the winter pruning 
any time from November until the end of February, or until the 
buds are so swelled, that further delay would endanger their 
being rubbed off in the operation. Cut out the cross-shoots and 
water-shoots of the preceding summer, and the superfluous 
among crowded branches. Prune long ramblers and low strag- 
glers to some well placed lateral or eye ; or if any under straggler 
spring very low, cut it away. Of last year’s shoots retain a 
sufficiency of the best well-placed laterals and terminals in 
vacant parts, to form successional bearers, and to supply the 
places of unfruitful and decayed old-wood, which, as you pro- 
ceed, should be removed. Mostly retain a leading shoot at the 
end of the principal branch, leaving it either naturally terminal, 
or, where the branch would thus be too extended, pruning in 
some competent lateral within bounds. The superfluous young 
laterals on the good main branches, instead of being taken off 
clean, may be cut into little stubs of one or two eyes; which will 
send out fruit-buds and spurs. Of the supply reserved for new 
bearers, a small number will probably require shortening, where 
too extended, or curved incommodiously ; leave these from 8 to 
