294 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



It should be more commonly used. Its fruit is of a. good size. Par- 

 son's Beauty is also prolific and makes a good berry for canning. Sam- 

 ple and Aroma always go together well. Aroma is a very good fer- 

 tilizer for the Sample. Brandj'wine has a large calyx or hull, and 

 for that reason fills the boxes quickly, but it does not make a nice 

 looking package. It is also a little dull in color. Uncle Jim is an 

 excellent berry for a light soil. The berry is large and attractive; 

 the foliage healthy and thrifty. The flavor is mild and to some is of 

 poor quality, while others like it. Marshall is excellent in texture, 

 color and flavor, but is a poor plant-maker and needs the richest 

 soil to bring it to perfection. 



GOOSEBERRIES. 



Since the freeze destroyed most of the peach trees in this section, 

 renewed interest has shown itself in the small fruits, especially in 

 the gooseberry and currant. The greatest hindrance to gooseberry grow- 

 ing is the fungous diseases, mainly mildew. For this reason the 

 gooseberry should be grown on a fairly moist, but naturally drained 

 soil. The bushes, also, should not be allowed to grow too dense and 

 every year they should be thinned out by pruning so as to let the sun 

 and air into the center of the bush. With these precautions and 

 spraying about every ten days until the fruit is ripe, with liver of 

 sulfur at the rate of three ounces to ten gallons of water, the mildew 

 can be kept in check. The soil should be well tilled from early spring 

 until August, when it is advisable to sow some oats for a cover crop. 

 Care should be. taken in the spring to cut out all canes that have the 

 cane borer in them. It is also well to renew the canes every three 

 years. 



Downing is undoubtedly grown more than any other variety. It 

 is a good healthy grower and always bears well of moderately large 

 fruit. Chautauqua is a prominent English variety but during the last 

 few years the Columbus has done better here. Columbus is an Amer- 

 ican seedling of the English gooseberry. Both the Chautauqua and 

 Columbus bear large handsome green berries of the best quality. None 

 of the English varieties, however, bear as well as the American sorts, 

 but they excel the American varieties in size and quality. Industry is 

 a red English variety that always does well. Its color and hairiness 

 somewhat detract from its appearance in the market. It is the best 

 red English sort. Lancashire Lad, a light pink variety, is a little 

 larger than Industry and not so hairy, but it is not as productive. 

 Young bushes of Portage and Crown Bob show up well. Portage is of 

 the European species and is claimed to be free from mildew. The bush 

 is compact and of a healthy appearance. The fruit is large and hand- 

 some, of a creamy green color,, and as it seems to bear well, it is 

 promising. The foliage of Crown Bob is not as healthy and the 

 berry is not as large. 



Houghton is an old standard American variety with rather small 

 fruit, but always plenty of it. Its color is reddish brown which 

 detracts from its market value, but the quality is good. The habit 

 of grow^th is rather sprawling and spreading. It is practically free 

 from mildew and easy of cultivation. Josselyn is larger than Houghton 



